Never Before, Never Again
by Ayane M
Summary: ***You can find the rewrite of this story under Even the Best***
1. Chapter 1

Ayane: And here's the story I was talking about. Hee...

Kurama: Lady Ayane, are you sure...?

Ayane: Oh, hush, worry wart! It'll be great!

Hiei: Hn? Onna, you're posting it already?

Ayane: Meh, got a little anxious... Okay, I wanna say one thing first: The Crazi Greek is one of the best YYH/OC-insert fic/Hiei-OC romance writers I know and everyone should check out her story "Atlas Shrugged" which is my little editing fave! Yes, I am her beta-reader. No, I feel no shame in bragging about her skills as a writer!

Kurama: Uhm... Lady Ayane does not own "Yu Yu Hakusho" or any songs. She does own "herself" and poems unless otherwise noted.

Ayane: Enjoy!

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter One

She had worked hard to get to where she was. She had trained hard and had even found a team to accept her. She was right where she wanted to be.

Ah, The Dark Tournament would be sweet.

Grinning to herself in the moonlight a week before the tournament was to commence, the black-haired girl silently thanked the one who was hosting it this time around: Yusuke Urameshi. Despite the fact that up until a few months ago everyone in the Makai thought he was human, she had been cheering him on at the last tournament. She giggled slightly to herself, knowing he was in no way the reason she had been cheering his team on. Her thoughts drifted to his shorter companion: Hiei. Blood crept to her cheeks. She had never really been a fighter before she saw him fighting and destroying everything in his path. It was, in a word, beautiful. Since the brutal conclusion of that tournament she had trained hard, working to prove herself and maybe one day show him what she was capable of.

He had become a bit of an obsession to her – even more so when she found out that he, too, was a Forbidden Child. Though his past was more unsettling than her own, she was almost proud of him for rising from that troubled life.

She shook her head fiercely, knowing she was being ridiculous.

"Who are you? You shouldn't be here, Miss. This is private land," a curious voice spoke from behind her. She had sensed the man's approach although she had been caught up in her own thoughts and turned to him now, smiling.

"Kazuma-san, ne?" she asked lightly, bowing, her hazel eyes taking him in. She was almost amazed at his height; he towered over her. "I'm Ayane Shinata. My team and I plan to fight here next week. I was just curious about the layout of the land. Urameshi-sama sure chose a beautiful island." She flashed a charming smile at him. "Honestly, I meant no harm."

He looked at her sternly for a moment before grinning back and taking her by the wrist, pulling her towards the hotel that had been built only weeks earlier. His actions took her by surprise and, as though reading her mind, he explained that "the gang and Yukina-san" might like to meet her. As this news washed over her, her eyes widened.

"N-no! I can't meet him yet!" she cried, trying to pull her arm free. Kuwabara paused mid-step and looked questioningly at her. "I…I'm supposed to meet him in battle…"

"Who?"

She blushed and stared at the ground. "Uhm… Never mind. It's not important." She urged herself to act normal and keep up a mental block as Kuwabara resumed pulling her to the group's room.

"Hey, guys, look what I found! She was wondering around outside; she's part of Hiroko's team!" Kuwabara exclaimed as they entered the room. "This is Ayane Shinata. Don't worry, she wasn't spying. She was telling the truth."

Ayane looked up at him, confused at how he could "just tell" but shook it off and scanned the room. Her eyes found Hiei and she had to force herself to breathe normally so her breath did not hitch. She bowed to the room. "Good evening everyone."

"Hey, Ayane-san," the dark-haired boy, who she instantly recognized as Yusuke, greeted. He motioned to the empty spot next to him. She instantly moved to him, thinking it to be quite disrespectful if she ignored or declined him.

"It's a pleasure, Urameshi-sama."

"Gah, would you not call me that?" He shook his head. "Anyway…not often we meet youkai who have last names."

"Not that they tell you about…" she mumbled though he and the others caught it.

"This is true, Lady Ayane," the red-head agreed, smiling. She recognized him as the infamous Youko Kurama, though in his human form. His use of the term "lady" before her name caught everyone's attention.

_He knows…_ she thought, horror on her face. _Gods, if he knows… This is bad. He's his closest friend…_

"Why'd you call her that, Kurama?" Kuwabara asked, not having tact enough to ask after she left.

Kurama smiled knowingly at her and shook his head. "That's a story for her to tell, if she wants. It's not my story to tell. I heard it by chance in the Makai one day."

"Always the lady's man, eh, Kurama?" Yusuke laughed, easily telling that she would not share and attempting to change the subject. "So, Ayane-san, what brings you here anyway? Get too excited? Couldn't wait anymore?" he teased.

She smiled smally. "Something like that. Just getting to know the lay of the land, is all."

"Hn. This is annoying. Send her home, Urameshi," the smallest member of their team grunted from the window sill. There was no stopping the blush that crossed her features as he spoke, even though he was only telling them to kick her out. She bit down on her lower lip and noticed Kurama grinning at her from the corner of her eye. Eyes narrowing and blush fading, she sent him a brief, mental message that if he breathes a word about it she would gouge his pretty green eyes out. This sent him into a laughing fit and all of the boys turned to look at him in pure confusion.

"S-sorry. I just remembered a joke…" he played it off then looked at her, eyes serious. _**Lady Ayane, you're no fighter. You and I both know that.**_ Hiei had gone back to staring out the window and the other two had started a drinking game between them.

She shifted her eyes to the side. _**How much do you know about me, Kurama-san?**_

_**I met Beken before he died.**_ Her eyes widened. _**So, yes, I know of your past. I have also heard you have been asking around the Makai about Hiei over there… Well, a girl of your description.**_

She shut her eyes and leaned back against the couch. _**Damn…**_

_**Hiei has no idea who you are or that you're interested**_, he assured her.

_**Oh, that's comforting!**_ A smile crept across her face. _**…I wouldn't really gouge your eyes out…**_ Even just the image made her uncomfortable. _**Violence normally isn't my thing, but I had to learn to fight… I had to meet him.**_

Kurama exchanged seats with Yusuke and, after a few moments, asked Ayane if she wanted to go for a walk. Kuwabara and Yusuke whistled, made cat-calls, and teased him about "fraternizing with the enemy." To that, Hiei made a comment that he was unaware Kuwabara knew such a big word. Ayane and Kurama used the argument as a distraction to escape. For a while they walked in silence.

"They're right, you know. If we become friends I don't think I'll ever be able to fight against you," she stated. "I'm still not sure I'll be able to even throw a punch at Hiei-dono… If we even make it that far."

He patted her on the head. "And if you don't?"

She frowned. "Then I'll just be another useless weakling to him…" They continued in silence for a while longer, stopping in a little clearing. Ayane smiled up at the full moon, soaking in its light. "He really did pick a beautiful place. Oh! How far back in his lineage did Urameshi-sama trace?" she asked, suddenly concerned again.

"Not nearly that far," he reassured her. "Beken never came up. He stopped with Raizen. He didn't want or need to know anymore than that."

She smiled faintly. "Well, that's good." She paused, gnawing on her lower lip. "Uhm. Hiei-dono was with Mukuro for a while, ne? Were they…close?" She felt silly for asking and blushed a bit.

"I'm not quite sure. I believe he was just looking for company after the team split for a while. Did they love each other? Of that I'm not sure… I do know they took care of each other for a while, though. Although, the first chance he got, he came back with the team."

"Must have been tough on her," she sighed. "Maybe she should have gone with him."

"I think he purposely left her behind."

"Huh."

"So, what was your plan? Wanted to watch him while he trained?" Kurama teased.

She blushed heavily. "You're a jerk," she muttered, punching his shoulder.

"Hey, you trained hard, huh?" he laughed, rubbing his shoulder.

"No way I hurt you! I'm sorry! I haven't gotten used to holding back…" She frowned and put her hand on his shoulder, sending a light pulse of healing energy.

"You punched my already injured shoulder," he assured her, allowing her to continue.

She rolled her eyes. "That boosts my confidence."

"Sorry," he laughed. "Hey. If you're not ready for this you can still resign."

"No! I have to show him what I've done for him! I have to prove myself!"

Kurama rubbed his ears, grinning. "Okay, okay. Sorry."

"Kit. Stop blocking me out and get your ass back to the hotel," Hiei's rough voice came from above them. Ayane's eyes widened and she blushed; how long had he been there?

The red-head looked up into the tree. "Hiei, you can come down here, you know."

"Hn." His crimson eyes were suddenly glaring her down. "Kit, it's time to go."

"Well we can't very well let Lady Ayane out here alone." Man, she wanted to kick him for calling her that in front of him; he was going to get nosy. "We should get her a room."

Hiei, instead of responding, began walking back towards the hotel. Ayane and Kurama shared a look; she was a bit frustrated she would be unable to discuss the man ahead of them. Kurama smiled amusedly to let her know Hiei was sending him mental messages, asking what the pair had been talking about. She smiled back, not sure why she was trusting him with the secrets she held.

"So, Kurama-kun, do I get my own private room then since all my teammates are boys or should I talk to Urameshi-sama about that?" she asked lightly.

Kurama chuckled slightly. "Yusuke will probably give you your own room. Not sure which one is yours, though. He has that list, not me. Hiei, you've seen the list, ne?" The fire youkai grunted. "Think you could take her to her room? I need to collect some herbs before I can return." He purposely ignored Ayane's silent protests as Hiei grunted again. "Thank you, Hiei. If you could follow Hiei, Lady Ayane, he will take you to your room." He smiled innocently at her enraged face then waved and made a swift turn to the left.

"Don't get lost, Girl," Hiei muttered.

"H-hai, Hiei-dono!" she exclaimed, blushing bright red as she said that. She kept her eyes averted to ignore the look he was giving her. It was uncomfortably silent for her as they walked. She noticed him trying to pry her mind a few times but coolly pushed him out. Finally tiring of the game, she glanced at him. "Could you stop that?" she whispered.

"Hn." Just to defy her, he tried once more. She pushed him out again, more forceful this time. He growled at her. Despite herself, she giggled. When the Jagan he kept hidden under his bandana began to glow, however, she knew she was in trouble. He poked and prodded as she did her best to keep him out. A light sweat had broken out on her forehead by the time he smirked and withdrew. "You'll prove to be interesting, Girl," he stated.

She felt a rush of pleasure well up inside her and smiled to herself, being careful to make sure he was actually keeping out of her mind. She was almost disappointed as he dropped her off at her room and walked across the hall and into his team's room. _"You'll prove to be interesting, Girl,"_ echoed in her mind. She set her door lock up: a retinal, fingerprint, and aura scan. Feeling light, she checked out the luggage that she had sent three days earlier. Everything seemed to be in place except… She scowled. Of course they had gone through her stuff. She opened the door and went across the hall, banging on the Urameshi team's door. Yusuke swung it open, grinning at her.

"Hey, Ayane-san! What's up?"

She took a deep breath and looked steadily up at him. "I am missing several of my own belongings, Urameshi-sama. I hate to be disrespectful, but I want them back now!"

"What're you missing?"

A blush dusted her features. "W-well, I'm missing my katana, my shuriken – pretty much all of my weapons – and some…personal stuff…"

"Like what?"Kuwabara asked from inside.

She twitched. "You both know what. Give me back my stuff!" They were acting like evil older brothers and she was having none of it.

"Not until you tell us everything you're missing," Yusuke laughed.

"Hn. Morons." Hiei motioned to one of the closed doors without looking at her.

Ayane barreled inside the room without a second thought and gathered all her belongings then raced out of there with a speed that would rival Hiei's. She dropped her stuff off in her room then knocked on Team Urameshi's door again. It was Kuwabara who sheepishly opened it this time, Yusuke laughing further in the room.

"You guys are pigs. I would honestly take much pleasure harming both of you and I do so hope I get that chance," she said, her voice sweet yet dripping with malice. "You guys touch my personal belongings again and you can bet I will show you no mercy. And trust me, I won't limit it to physical violence." She heard Hiei chuckle over on his window sill and felt a slight boost of confidence. "See you guys around." With that, she retired to her room for the night, feeling light and content. She had gotten complimented and talked to by the only reason she was here. There was no way she could be happier at this moment unless… She shook her head, blushing. There was absolutely no way that could happen. Maybe one day, but not tonight… She dressed in one of the nightgowns she had just recovered from them and lay down under her blankets, almost instantly falling into a peaceful sleep.

~*~*~The Gang~*~*~

"She's a bit scary. You see something in her, Kurama?" Kuwabara snorted.

Kurama chuckled, having just returned to the room and been told about the incident. "She is strong indeed. Mind you, she worked hard in order to be accepted here." He smiled faintly. "I believe good things will happen to her."

"Ya got something for her, Kurama?" Yusuke chuckled.

"Hm? Oh, nothing like that. Even if it was, she's devoted to one and one only."

"Do we know him?" Kurama paused, chuckled, then stood and left to enter his room in the suite. "Well what the hell does that mean?"

Hiei's crimson eyes watched the fox suspiciously before returning to the outside.

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Ayane: Takes place after the series and the original OAVs after the final episode, if ya couldn't tell… Good thing, too. Too many plot holes if it was before Hiei left…

(Hiei shakes his head)

Ayane: Whaaaat? Hmph. You're being rude. (pouts)

Kurama: Please review.

Ayane: And no flames, please! ;~;


	2. Chapter 2

Ayane: So. I'll give a shout-out to the only person who reacted to my story in any way by adding it to their favorites - Kagome141414! Thanks! :D

Kurama: Lady Ayane...you musn't get too excited...

Ayane: Hush, you. -.-

Yusuke: Aya doesn't own YYH or any songs. She owns OCs and such.

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter Two

Yawning, Ayane climbed out of bed the next morning before the sun rose. Stripping off her nightgown and changing into a red tank and black jean shorts, she readied herself for a day of training. She left her hair down and geared herself properly: katana sheathed at her hip, a pouch of kunai around one thigh and a pouch of shuriken around the other. Slipping on her flats, she opened her window and jumped down the tree outside, one limb at a time. When she finally hit the ground she started running. Three laps around the large hotel, she felt, should be enough pre-training exercise. As she reached the end of the final lap she sprinted towards the clearing that Kurama and she had talked in last night. She sat in the center of it, folding her legs and placing her hands in her lap in order to start her meditation. She took deep breaths, cleansing her entire being before she began taking her fury out on the nearby trees.

"Hai!" she exclaimed, jumping up a few moments later. She unsheathed her katana even quicker than she had before and sliced at a tree. Her eyes widened when she clanged against a metal object and immediately jumped back. "O-oh, it's you!" she squeaked, eyes focusing on the crimson-eyed man. "I'm sorry, did I wake you when I left?" She was nibbling on her lower lip, not looking at him. "I'm usually good at keeping quiet. I didn't mean to wake anyone. I'm really sorry…"

"Come at me, Girl," Hiei muttered. "Sparring with a tree isn't productive."

"Oh, no. Really, it's all right!" she sputtered.

"Hn. Don't be a moron. I'm trying to help you."

_Imagine he's someone you really hate…_ her mind told her and she instantly pictured the one guy on her team she could not stand: Shou. He was a tall, obnoxious, and rude blond youkai who had hit on her more than once in the short time she had known him. He often toyed with the females he was with, usually more than one at a time. He was a pig. Her eyes flashed angrily and she flickered to a spot behind him, swinging her katana swiftly; all she hit was afterimage. Her eyes refocused quickly enough to avoid a strike from his katana, blocking it with hers and doing her best to hold him off. Pushing some spirit energy into her katana, she managed to push him back just enough so that she could find a new position a few feet away. She slid her free hand into her kunai pouch and withdrew a few, flinging them all towards him with one flick of her wrist, forcing him further away. Then something stopped her…

The scent of blood.

She looked at his stoic expression, blood dripping from his cheek. Her eyes widened and she rushed towards him, dropping her katana. "I'm so sorry, Hiei-dono!" she exclaimed as she reached for his cheek. "Please don't move," she requested after he jerked away slightly. After touching his cheek again, she sent some spirit energy into her fingertips, gently healing his cut. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest; she had hurt him! There was no chance in all the seven hells now…

"Hn. Idiot girl, are you going to heal all of your opponents?" he scoffed.

"I wasn't supposed to hurt you." Her lower lip trembled. "You were trying to help me and I injured you." She could not look him in the face. "I'm so sorry…"

He studied the top of her head then grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand from his face. "I'm fine, Girl. Return to your place."

She obeyed, hopping back to where she was when she had smelled the blood and picked her katana up. Taking a deep breath, she raced towards him again.

The physical fighting continued for a couple hours, each one studying how the other worked. He proved to not care how rough they were as they both ended up receiving bruises and cuts. As the sun finally starting rising, he held his hand up, motioning for them to stop. Smiling, she approached him, sheathing her katana, and bowed. "That was fun, Hiei-dono!"

"Hn." He stood in front of her, watching her as she slowly straightened herself and began healing the injuries that had been inflicted on him. "You're interesting, Girl… Who have you trained under?"

She kept her eyes focused on his wounds. "No one. I've trained myself."

"How long?"

"About 2 years now."

"Hn…" He was intrigued. She matched his speed but calculated each move faster than he did, expecting a lot of the attacks he went to throw at her. He watched her as she intently healed his wounds although they were nothing more than shallow cuts and light bruises that would heal in a day's time. This "-dono" thing confused him as well. He watched her purposely avoid his gaze as she went to heal the few cuts on his cheek and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you hiding, Girl?" he asked quietly, almost dangerously.

In her surprise, her eyes flicked to meet his. "What do you mean, Hiei-dono?"

Her eyes were too wide, too innocent, as she looked at him. He pulled away from her and disappeared quickly, ensuring she would not try to follow him. No one should ever look at him that way. When he reached the edge of the island, he glared at his reflection in the ocean. She was hiding something and Kurama knew what it was. One way or another he would make sure he found out what it was.

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

After collecting herself from that curious encounter, she collected her kunai and shuriken and began her return to the hotel. She climbed back up the tree outside her window and slipped inside, intent on showering…although her clothes smelled like the little fire youkai she had just sparred with… She giggled and stripped down, throwing her clothing into the pop-up hamper she had brought along, then made her way into her personal bathroom, turning the shower on as hot as it would go, full-force.

Whistling to herself, the dark-haired girl hoped into the hot shower and cleaned herself after healing her own wounds. She was okay with the sting from the water but soap going into her cuts was a big no-no. After rinsing out and wringing her hair, she turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her body. She walked out of the bathroom and took a laptop out of her bag that was used solely for carrying her music with her. She started it up and put her music player on shuffle, singing along as she dressed in a dark green summer dress and combed out her long hair. Not trusting hair dryers, she let her hair air dry. She smiled as "Wonderwall" began playing.

"Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you. By now, you shoulda somehow realized whatchya gotta do. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now… Backbeat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out. I know you've heard it all before, but you never really had a doubt. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now…

"An all the roads we have to walk are winding, and all the lights that lead us there are blinding… There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don't know how… Because, maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me. And, after all, you're my wonderwall…

She smiled faintly, falling back on her bed. "Today was gonna be the day, but they'll never throw it back to you. By now you should've somehow realized what you're not do to. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now… And all the roads that lead ya there were winding, and all the lights that light the way were blinding. There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don't know how…

"I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me. And, after all, you're my wonder-wall. I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me. And, after all, you're my wonderwall. Said maybe… you're gonna be the one that saves me, gonna be the one that saves me, gonna be the one that saves me…" The song faded and a new one began but she merely looked at the tips of her fingers, smiling goofily. She had sparred with him, she had healed his wounds… She felt wonderful at this point in time.

And then there was a knock at her window.

Glancing over, her face was aflame when she realized it had been open and Hiei had been sitting on the branch outside for what looked like a while. She stood and raced to her laptop, snapping it shut, cutting the music off. "What are you doing out there? This is my room!"

"Hn. You left the window open. I heard you."

_Dammit…_ "So what do you want?" she asked, head raised defiantly. "And how long have you been there?" Her tone was more sheepish this time. From his arrogant smirk she could tell her initial guess was correct; he had been there for at least three songs. She cursed herself for not closing the window. He chuckled at her flushed face then disappeared. Stomping over to the window, she slammed it shut, nearly shattering the glass, then made her way downstairs to the mini-restaurant area Yusuke had made sure to include. Food was already set out in an all-you-can-eat buffet style and two out of the four guys were at a table, cramming food down their throats. She filled her own plate and went to sit with them, smiling warmly. "Good morning, you two," she greeted.

Yusuke had the decency to swallow his food before greeting her back whereas she just barely avoided the food spraying from Kuwabara's mouth as he said "good morning." Much to her amusement, Yusuke smacked his head for being rude.

After their greetings they returned to eating, going back for more servings as their plates emptied. Ayane was long past the assumption the two were in an eating contest. "Boys," she laughed, shaking her head.

"Good morning, Lady Ayane," Kurama's warm voice greeted as he took a seat next to her. "Training go well this morning?" he asked lightly, acknowledging the other two were much too engrossed in their food to pay any attention.

"That was your fault?" she whispered, almost choking on her juice.

He shook his head. "Hiei has been trying to figure out what's going on. His head was a mess when he got back. He's going through you being a spy for the enemy and converting me to your side." He chuckled at this idea. "He was also surprised at how strong you actually were, you know. Especially after only two years of training. He's not quite sure he believes that."

"But it's true…" She frowned, twirling her straw. She paused. "He thinks I'm strong?" she asked shyly.

"Mhm." Kurama smiled. "Admitting that, even in his head, means he respects you as a fighter: an equal. Good starting grounds."

"You're cruel, Kurama-kun," she scolded, though she was grinning widely and blushing. Yusuke belched loudly at that moment, causing an awkward silence in which the boys looked at Ayane. She looked innocently at them, shook her head, and said, "8.5." Yusuke and Kuwabara cheered at her response and Kurama chuckled. Ayane wondered to herself if it was too late for her to switch teams. She liked these guys; she found that she did not want to fight them. It was hard for her to think about hurting any of them. They all continued eating breakfast, talking amongst themselves about whatever came to mind. Ayane even got up the courage to ask the two demons if they had found mates yet.

Kurama laughed lightly. "I haven't been looking, honestly. I've been busy taking care of my family in the Ningenkai," he answered. "Yusuke, though…"

"She's not my mate!" Yusuke snapped, his face red. Ayane giggled at his expression, happy for him. "Anyway, what about you, Ayane-san? Have you got anyone special?" He and Kuwabara got close to her face, causing her to blanch, back up, and stutter slightly. They kept getting closer and she kept leaning further back until her chair legs slipped out from underneath her and she started falling. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact as the boys called her name.

"Hn. Idiot, get up," a rough voice grunted above her face.

She peeked through her eyelids, snapping them open wide when she met her savior's eyes. "Gah! Hiei-dono!" she squeaked, scrambling to her feet. She bowed lowly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" His aura disappeared and she snuck a look before standing. She took a relieved breath and fixed her chair then sat back down. It took her a moment to realize that the two across the table were gaping at her and the one sitting next to her was stifling laughter directed towards her. "What?" she cried out, her face turning even more red than she knew it already was.

"You like _him_?" Kuwabara nearly made them all deaf.

"N-no!"

"Oh, yeah, real convincing," Yusuke said sarcastically.

"Oh, you morons don't know anything! Stop laughing, Pretty Boy!" Her face was beet-red and she was changing her mind quickly about wanting to beat them up. She stood and left the overly-decorated cafeteria, irritated at them. She stormed out of the hotel and walked through the woods, muttering about the rude boys she left behind. "Bastards won't leave me alone. Not like I don't get enough of that kinda crap from my guys. Jerks. Oughtta beat 'em with a large stick then shove it up their asses sideways." She paused at the chuckle above her head and looked up. "Oh. You now, too?" She frowned.

Hiei hopped down beside her. "I share your thoughts most days," he stated.

"Oh. Okay then." She smiled smally and they walked together in a slightly comfortable silence – completely comfortable if not for the voice in her head insisting she should jump him where he stands. Twitching, she squashed the little voice. "Hiei-dono, would you mind giving me any pointers after sparring with me today?"

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "If you don't focus on your mind block as much as you were you could be a much better fighter."

She flushed and shook her head. "Nice try," she responded dryly. "You don't get it, do you? I won't tell you and you won't find out. It's better if you don't know."

"For me or you?" he scoffed.

"For both of us." Her answer surprised him and she could just barely tell. She smiled to herself. _That way you don't know what I know and it doesn't hurt you enough to push me away. Don't you see, Hiei-dono? I'm doing this for both of us…even if there never is an "us…"_ The silence between them returned heavily. She had nothing else to ask or say and, seeing as how he spoke little to begin with, she doubted any form of conversation would commence. "You don't have to follow me," she stated. "I have no one to 'report' to or anything. I don't like half of the people on my team." He made no response or move to leave; he just kept walking beside her. For a moment she was happy with this fact then noticed him trying to pry again. She sighed and put a thick mental wall down between them.

He growled at her, wondering what could be so bad. What in the seven hells could she be keeping secret that would be better if he did not know? Curiosity usually never got the best of him but the humans he had been around for years had gotten the better of him. Despite the newly created wall between them, he continued to poke and prod, looking for the tiniest of cracks.

Ayane glanced at him, frowning. "Hiei-dono…this is the one thing I pride myself on. I've worked hard to be able to hide everything from everyone – including Jaganshi. You couldn't get through even if you went full power. I'm sorry, Hiei-dono…" She paused and sighed at his angry grumbling. "If you really must know something…here you go." She opened a small doorway on her wall which he quickly barged into. A soft cry left her lips; no one had gone into her mind to rummage around since she was a child and her parents were looking through her lies.

Hiei was unimpressed by the small memory she let him into. He remembered vividly the last Dark Tournament and was not amused by her spectator point-of-view. He was about to pull out and tell her how mundane it was when he realized he was only watching his team's battles and, more vividly, his own battles. As it began to click, the picture faded to black and she stood in front of him, her eyes downcast. He was more than a little bit surprised but continued with his stoic expression.

_**You need to get out now. You're piecing ridiculous assumptions together.**_

_**Girl**_, he scoffed, _**you know nothing about me.**_

Her eyes met his, hints of sadness and anger flecking the hazel. _**And that's where you're wrong. I know so much about you… You're the one who knows nothing about me.**_ Being safe here, inside her own mind, she felt she could say anything she wanted. _**You think your story doesn't get told in rundown Makai bars amongst the shady youkai? Kurama and you – the big "traitors." Heh. Buncha morons. Changed their minds when you guys showed them you weren't afraid of anything. You guys were amazing.**_

He studied her closely as memories of the tournament flew past them. Her eyes appeared distant and unfocused and her arms hung limp by her sides. It was at this moment he realized her mind was vulnerable yet he could not bring himself to pry any further. He slowly let himself out and stood, staring at her blank expression in the sunlight. "Don't do that again," he said, barely above a whisper.

"Sorry," she said off-handedly, walking off again and not expecting him to follow. Her suspicion was proved incorrect; he was soon in step with her again. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and said, "Go away." Seemingly intent on pissing her off even more, he kept speed with her and did not leave. She clenched her jaw tight before taking a swing at him, only hitting air. "Real mature…" she muttered, glaring above her into the trees. Rolling her eyes, she turned around and ran for the hotel. Halfway there, she found herself slammed against a tree.

"Don't let me in like that again," he growled in her ear.

"O-okay…" she stuttered, trembling. He released her and disappeared, leaving her at the tree, shaking. She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. This was going to be a long tournament…

* * *

Ayane: Yay!

Hiei: Hn.

Ayane: Hiei-dono!

(Hiei grumbles to himself)

Ayane: Mopey... Anyway, review, please! Please, please, please! I'll send e-cookies!


	3. Chapter 3

Ayane: Wow…I got 2 reviews in less than 12 hours of posting my second chapter! ;~; I feel so loved… Thank you so much Kagome141414 and Quietstorm aka Narusake-koi!

Hiei: …Baka.

Ayane: Yeah, well, you're a jerk so there!

(Hiei mutters to himself)

Kurama: Lady Ayane only owns OCs and poems unless otherwise stated. She does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any songs.

Ayane: Enjoy!

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter Three

The remainder of the week passed by slowly but without incident. Hiei even continued sparring with her in the mornings, whether she wanted him there or not. As the first day of the tournament approached, she had gotten past her feeling awkward around him and even jested about the others a couple times. Getting closer to him made her a bit uncomfortable, as if he was getting ready to out her or something. She suspected he still did not trust her motifs completely and was careful with what she said. Sometimes she joked about it with Kurama, who always sat there and smiled to himself as if he knew a secret no one else knew.

The day before the teams were meant to arrive, Ayane was sitting in Team Urameshi's suite. They had almost become like family to her and she was nearly positive she would not be able to fight them – not even Kuwabara.

"So, Kurama-kun…I'm not looking forward to this tournament so much anymore," she whispered to him that night. "I mean, I don't like my teammates and since there's no longer any point to it…"

The red head stared at her. "You really don't want to fight anymore?"

She shook her head, smiling. "There's no point anymore, is there? No reason for me to hurt anyone for something I don't even want."

"Girl, outside," Hiei growled from behind her, making her jump. Before she turned around he was already gone.

Ayane turned to Kurama. "Uhm…I should be scared, ne?" she whispered to which her companion nodded slowly. "Could you come with me?"

"I don't think he'll hurt you, Lady Ayane," he assured her, laughing. He ushered her out the door, encouraging her to be strong and stay positive. He laughed more as she muttered an "I hate you" while she left the hotel.

Once one foot hit the outside, she was swept off her feet and racing through the forest. A muffled cry left her lips and she wrapped her arms tightly around the familiar man's neck, hiding her face from the stinging wind whipping around them. A wave of nausea washed over her as her holder came to an abrupt stop. "Coulda warned me," she grumbled as he let her down. Less than two seconds later, however, she was pinned to a tree again. "What the hell is your issue?"

"Hn. Idiot girl. I didn't spend this week sparring with you so you could quit now." His eyes were dangerous.

"Hiei-dono…" She frowned. "Look, I have no more reason to be here. I've done what I came here to do. I…I met…" She sighed and gripped his face, pulling his forehead to hers. She promised herself before she left she would share everything she knew and everything that had happened to her with him. As she started with the memory of her making that promise, he tore himself from her. She looked at him, confused.

He glared down at her as if daring her to touch him again. "You'll stay. You'll fight." He dared her to challenge him.

"Give me one good reason why I should! I've done what I've—" She was cut off with his katana at her throat. Her eyes widened, though she was not afraid.

"If you don't stay and fight then I will hunt you down and destroy you for being a foolish coward," he growled.

She stared at him, not blinking, and slowly pushed the katana from her neck. "Can I show you just…one more thing?" she asked nervously. If he said yes then he'd know what she was and why she, of all people, could feel what she felt for him. Instead, he shook his head and sheathed his katana, turning away from her. "No, you don't understand…"

"Girl…you're far more interesting when you have your secrets and keep them from me." He smirked over his shoulder at her. "Fool…"

She blushed and nodded. "All right. Then you don't get to know anything until I'm about to die or the tournament's over – whichever comes first. Deal?"

"Hn." There was a brief pause in which the two simply looked at each other. Then he leaned towards her hesitantly, unsure of how he would be received. She could have smacked him with how silly he was being; as if she had not shown him she cared about him enough to at least allow a kiss… Suddenly, though, her face turned bright red and Hiei, realizing the extent of what he was about to do, disappeared.

"No, you jerk!" she called out to the empty forest. "Gah! And you call _me_ the idiot?"

"Shut up, Moron. You'll wake the forest," his voice said beside her ear. She went to snap at him again when his lips enveloped hers roughly, her words lost instantly. _**How much do you know…?**_ he asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He smirked at her response.

_**Nuh-uh, you told me not to let you in. Letting you in includes telling you. But I know enough, Hiei-dono. Finding out took a long time and it was scary…but I know well more than most youkai…and I don't care.**_

He pulled away from her and studied her face, noting that she was nearly breathless and her lips were kiss-swollen. He smirked. "You'll fight, Girl," he stated before flitting off.

"Hai, Hiei-dono…" she whispered, grinning goofily. Collecting herself, she hurried back to the hotel and her suite, light. She snuggled under the large comforter and slipped into an easy sleep, her smile following her.

~*~*~Hiei~*~*~

He watched his reflection as it wavered in the water, scowling back at him. Kissing her had been a horrible, impulsive, and stupid idea. Growling, he was unable to get rid of her image; her devoted gaze pierced him.

"Idiot girl. She doesn't know enough to be frightened of me," he grumbled, though his mind mocked him. "Who is…" He paused. "Shinata. Hn." The name tugged at his mind and he knew that the name meant something, although what he could not say. Swearing silently, he returned to the hotel in less than thirty seconds. He glared at Kurama. _**Shinata. **__**Whose name is that?**_

Kurama blinked at him, confused. _**It's Lady Ayane's last name, Hiei.**_

"Don't screw with me, Kit," Hiei growled, surprising the other two in the room.

"Hiei, I have no idea what you're talking about," Kurama answered innocently, though his eyes held a flicker of amusement.

Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at each other, confused. "Oi, what're you guys talking about?" Yusuke asked.

"Hn." The fire youkai disappeared again and Yusuke looked at Kurama expectantly.

Kurama sighed. "It's nothing, Yusuke. Hiei simply didn't appreciate my answers. He's becoming more and more curious about Lady Ayane and it's frustrating him."

"This is rich," Yusuke chuckled. "So the short ones like each other then."

"It appears that way… They're at least interested in one another. Hiei feels he's heard her last name before. Oh. They've also been sparring together this past week." He smiled lightly at the other two as they howled with laughter. "He's impressed with her as a fighter, Yusuke."

Yusuke paused, turning serious. "If Hiei's impressed then she must be a good fighter. I wasn't honestly expecting much." He frowned. "We should've been doing more training than drinking, Kuwabara."

Kuwabara grumbled. "Ah, we're fine. We've had some of the best teachers and probably more years than she's had in her whole life."

"She only started training about two years ago," Kurama stated, holding a cup of hot tea to his face. The other two sputtered about that for a while, confused at how a girl who had only started training recently was already impressing Hiei. "She's like you, Yusuke. With every fight she seems to get stronger." He hoped the team leader would not look into that phrase too much and he really hoped neither Ayane nor Hiei found out what he had just said. After all, it was her right to tell who she wanted when she wanted.

"So what did you tell Shorty that he got so pissy anyway?" Kuwabara asked.

"That I didn't know why her last name was familiar."

"And do you?" Yusuke asked. In response, Kurama merely smiled to himself and went back to his tea.

~*~*~Hiei~*~*~

He knew he had no reason to be sitting outside her window yet he could not bring himself to move. He studied her tossing and turning as though she was having a bad dream and, though he told himself he should, he did not look into her mind. Silently, he slid the window open and slipped inside, sauntering over to her. He stared down at her, watching her face contort in fear. It was not a good look for her, he decided, and reached out to grab her shoulder.

"Hiei…" she whispered, causing him to hesitate. The tossing about and the fear on her face both ceased and a more peaceful expression lightened up her face. Hiei withdrew his hand and just continued to stare at her, arguing with himself about how best to figure out who she was. It would bother him during the tournament and bother him even more if she just died out there without ever telling him…and why him, anyway?

"Shinata," he said quietly to himself. The name was familiar to him, but why? Without realizing it he had reached out again and was moving her hair out of her face. He held his hand there for a moment longer, absentmindedly, before pulling back as if something had bit him. He scowled as an all-too-familiar voice echoed through his mind.

_**I see the girl, Hiei.**_ The voice was monotone but for the light taunting air.

_**Hn. I left.**_ You were meant to keep out, Mukuro.

_**But, Hiei, you're meant to be here. You know that.**_

He hissed under his breath, being cautious not to wake the dark-haired girl. _**Moron. I want nothing to do with you. I will face your team in battle and defeat them. You will disappear from every part of my life.**_

_**Hiei, you should come back – leave them behind. Her voice was almost pleading now.**_

_**I have no duty to you.**_

She was saying something else but Hiei had drowned her out, watching as Ayane began tossing and turning again. He touched her cheek and was a bit surprised when she relaxed. His fingertips traced her face and trailed lightly down her neck; he smirked when she shuddered in her sleep. Perhaps he was too hasty before in assuming kissing her was a mistake. Maybe she really did know more than he thought. He traced her lips with his thumb, smirking. He took a seat beside her. After all the tossing and turning, she had knocked her comforter completely off the bed so she lay, uncovered, in her small black nightgown. Unfazed, he nudged her shoulder.

"Girl, wake up," he muttered.

"Five more minutes, Sai-kun," she whined, turning away.

A strange feeling roused in him that he was unable to describe as he hastily ignored it. He knew Sai was a youkai on her team and assumed they were close which, for some reason, irked him slightly. He returned to his earlier thought that he should not have kissed her.

"Hiei-dono…" she cried softly, reaching out in her sleep. Without thinking, he took her hand in his. He shook his head at himself and stared out the window as he dropped her hand. The room was silent for a few minutes save her breathing. It took him a while to realize her breathing had changed. "Hiei-dono?..." she whispered.

He looked at her, eyes dark. "Sai?" was the first thing he growled, surprising them both. He was defensive and he recognized it, almost hitting himself for doing so.

"Sai-kun has almost been a brother to me, Hiei-dono… He protects me from the other guys." She frowned at him and sat up. "Hiei-dono, are you all right? It's kind of late, you know." She found it odd that he was in her room at all without being prompted or to tease her.

"You were crying out," he grunted.

"I see… I'm sorry…" she whispered, avoiding his gaze. She had thought that she would be fine now, after meeting him, but she had apparently driven him to pay her a visit. She wound her arms around herself and shuddered at the memories filling her mind – the cause of her sleep-deprived nights. "I'll be all right, Hiei-dono; you go to bed. Sorry for—" With a small yelp of surprise, she was shoved back onto the bed. She stared at him helplessly as he remained sitting, staring at her. "What do you want?..."

He gave a small shake of his head, letting her know that he himself did not know. He lay hesitantly next to her, staring at the ceiling. Despite her moving closer, he chose not to move. A smirk touched his lips when she stopped just millimeters from his side. "Are you afraid of me, Girl?" he asked. When there was no response, he glanced over from the corner of his eye and saw her turned towards him, sleeping peacefully. He shook his head and resumed staring up at the ceiling, repeating her last name over and over again in his head – he was sure he would soon be driven crazy. He glanced at her again as her arm snaked its way across his chest. _What an odd girl…_

_**Hiei**_, Kurama's urgent voice cut through Hiei's thoughts. The latter growled quietly, getting annoyed with the mental intrusions.

_**What, Kit?**_ he hissed.

_**We need to talk.**_

Hiei watched Ayane as he removed himself from her grip then, almost as an afterthought, he pulled her comforter back onto her. He smirked down at her peaceful, content expression then disappeared out her window only to reappear in Kurama's room through his window. For a few moments, he watched as the red head paced. "Kit," he finally snapped.

Kurama paused mid-step and looked over at him. "Hiei, Lady Ayane…" he trailed off, noticing the odd fragrance coming off his friend. His expression changed from almost panicked to confused. "Were you in Lady Ayane's room?"

"Hn. What's wrong, Kit?"

"Huh? Oh, of course! I just got word from Koenma. It seems Lady Ayane is in a great deal of trouble. He's coming tomorrow to take her away!" Hiei's eyes bore into Kurama's, showing the kitsune just how little that information affected him. The red head frowned and turned away. "She's going to be killed, Hiei."

The fire youkai started at those words and was standing next to him in a heartbeat. "Kit, you're not humorous," he growled. "There would be no reason for you to come to me to whine about something so stupid. Hn. I won't fall for it." He flitted out the window into the night as Kurama looked on, frowning. _Baka…_

"Koenma-sama… No, he didn't believe you were going to kill her. Look, Lady Ayane is trying to keep her head down around here; I believe it would be in her best interest if maybe we kept quiet about…that." Kurama frowned into the phone as the ruler of the Makai responded as quiet as possible. "I know and I'm sure she misses you as well but maybe you could find another way to talk to her…without Hiei around. She's afraid, you see. She promised him she wouldn't tell him anything until the tournament was over or she was on her death bed." He winced at the hysterical laughter on the other end of the line. "I fail to see why it's funny that she made him a promise… According to her, he's the one who made her promise after he kissed her." There was shouting this time and Kurama could not help but smile a bit. "I feel it will work out for the best. Oh, I must go. My mother's on the other line." He sighed and shut off the phone, feeling no guilt over lying to him. If he had truly cared he would have looked for her beforehand. The red head sighed, not caring much for being the mediator.

"Her godfather, huh?..." he whispered, shaking his head. This tournament was shaping up to be one hell of a family reunion.

* * *

Ayane: Next chapter will take longer 'cause it's not near finished yet. Hope this holds you over 'til then!

Kurama: You seem more excited to write this story now…

Ayane: Yeah… Now that I know others are actually reading it I feel better about my not-so-great writing skills!

Kurama: Please review… (pats Ayane on the head)

Ayane: Hey…where'd Hiei go?...


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Yes, it's rather slow coming out...but because of all the kind reviews and favorites this story is getting I actually decided to keep working on it. Hope you like this chapter! It's intense. (winks)

* * *

(Hiei stares at the readers)

Ayane: Oi, what're you doing?

Hiei: Hn. (continues staring)

Ayane: 'Kay… (scoots away from him)

Kurama: Staring's rude, Hiei. Lady Ayane owns OCs and poems unless otherwise noted.

Ayane: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi! And I own no songs, either.

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter Four

"Oi, Ayane-chaaaan!"

Ayane grumbled and put her pillow over her head. "I don't wanna go, Sai-kun," she grumbled.

The small grey-haired youkai scowled and ripped her pillow off of her. "Get up, ya lazy bum! Everyone's waitin' for ya!"

The girl glared at him. "How did you get in my room?" she muttered, eyeing her pillow.

"Heh. Guess you'll never find that out, will ya?" he taunted.

"Geez. Gonna need Urameshi-sama to get my windows boarded shut." She sat up and gripped her comforter around her. "Get outta here or I'll set fire to ya," she teased, laughing as her pillow was thrown back in her face.

Waiting for the door to close before standing, Ayane blinked hard, waking herself up. It was great to see Sai again but that meant the fights would soon begin… She frowned and walked to the bathroom, intent on grabbing a shower before she met with her team.

"Chibi," a rough voice acknowledged from behind her. She froze and balled her hands into fists at her sides. "I distinctly remember telling you not to show up here early."

"I distinctly remember that you're not my keeper," she hissed, keeping her head high.

"I run this team and can get rid of you at will." He grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him. "Don't disobey me."

Ayane bit her tongue and her arms went limp. "Hai, Shou-san."

"Good girl." He smirked but dropped that and her hand as a loud knock on the door sounded.

"Lady Ayane, are you still in there?"

She rolled her eyes and walked to the door, Shou following close behind her. "Good morning, Kurama-kun. Is something wrong?"

Kurama looked from her to Shou and back again before smiling. "No, nothing's wrong. I just came to tell you that Yusuke would like if you'd join us all for breakfast."

"Tell Urameshi-sama I'd love to! Oh… Kurama-kun, Shou-san got lost on the way to his room. Do you think you could help him get back to it?" She knew she would probably receive a scolding or worse later on but she was happy as she watched the two walk away. With a sigh of relief, she shut the door and turned back to the bathroom, stripping down on the way there.

"Girl," an all-too-familiar voice barked from the window. She squealed and spun around, attempting to use her arms to cover herself until she noticed his head was turned away. And was that a blush she saw? "Hn. I was supposed to deliver the message. I needed your team leader out of the way."

"Hiei-dono…" She smiled. "Thank you for the message, Hiei-dono!"

He stayed silent but turned back to look at her again. This time, it we her who had a definite blush etched across her face. "Koenma wants to talk to you," he said quietly, his eyes boring into hers. Though he was itching to, he refused to look any lower.

"…Thank you, Hiei-dono…" she whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor.

There was an awkward tension in the air as Hiei did his best to not look down and she did her best to hide herself. Maybe if she wished it hard enough she could disappear into the floor… Why did he turn around anyway?

"Hn. Kit thinks you need an escort." She nodded, not sure what to respond with. He knew he would be unable to deal with the situation much longer and growled, "Get dressed, Moron."

She shook her head, choked out "shower," then turned away and ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She glared at her beet-red reflection and ran cold water in the sink, splashing it on her face. Once she felt calm and her heart had stopped racing, she started up the shower.

_You idiot!_ she scolded herself. _He turned to look at you; why'd you get so stupidly shy? No wonder he got so angry…_ A frown made its way across her face as she slid into the hot shower. _You really are a moron…_

~*~*~Hiei~*~*~

"Hn…" He stared out the window, making a futile attempt to empty his mind. He knew he should have stayed turned away but he wanted to see her…

Gods, he wanted to hit himself.

Why would there be any reason for him to want to see her? There was no reason for him to _want_ anything! He growled and punched the window frame. What a stupid girl…

What was going on between her and her team leader before Kurama interrupted? He scowled thinking about it. He had his hands on her and she looked so empty and something he told himself he in no way cared about…_defeated_. The look on her face was something he had yet to see on her face even when he would push her to the ground during a mock battle. Something inside him hated the look Shou had caused on her face.

_What's got you so riled up?_ his mind taunted. _She's nothing special. Do you feel a sense of duty because of this past week? Because you were training her? Because you kissed the nasty little girl? Don't be a fool!_

He glared outside, pushing back the chiding voice. His concentration broke as her scent hit his nostrils when she walked out of the bathroom. That was when he realized what it was that made him so protective – her scent was different from anyone he had met before. It was more of a fascination than a sexual interest, however, because of the fact it was so different. He shut his eyes for a moment before looking back at her.

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

She had finally stopped insulting herself long enough to shower and hurriedly did so, knowing Hiei was sitting out there waiting for her. Cursing herself as she left the shower for forgetting her clothes, she walked out with her towel wrapped around her. Her eyes met his when he turned and she felt a spark of electricity pass between them. She caught her breath and looked away, moving to her dresser.

"Girl…" His voice came from right behind her and she found herself unable to move. He hesitantly touched her arms and turned her around to face him again. Crimson met hazel and her breath returned to being uneven. A growl left his throat and he forced his eyes and hands from her. "Get dressed, Moron."

Her irritation boiled over, her embarrassment over the situation making it that much stronger. "That's what I was going to do until you stopped me, you jerk!" she snapped. "Just don't touch me!" She pushed at his chest for a while before she realized he wasn't moving away. Her eyes turned fearfully towards him as it slowly dawned on her that she had just flipped out on him and he could easily hurt her. "Uhm…I…" A small curse left her lips and she started backing up, him moving in time with her. They did not stop this little dance until she felt her back hit her dresser.

"Girl…don't talk that way to me…" he growled in her ear, leaning close to her.

"I'm sorry, Hiei-dono…" she whispered, fighting two separate feelings. She knew she should be afraid and she was trying hard to be but she found that her other feeling was winning. His face moved back into her line of sight and she knew he could sense it coming off her body in waves. She felt dirty and excited and needed him closer…

"…You don't know what you're asking…" he muttered, keeping his body in one spot and trying his damnedest to not move.

Put in this position with any other person, she would agree with him in a heartbeat and push them away. However, Hiei was never "just another demon" to her. He was the one she had been seeking for years. She knew that, with him, she could have something. Her body slowly and unwittingly moved closer to his, pressing against him when he did not attempt to move away. A gasp escaped her when he suddenly grabbed her by the waist and sat her on her dresser, grabbing the back of her head.

_This isn't good! This isn't right!_ her mind screamed at her. Her heart silenced the little annoying voice and she whimpered as Hiei's lips touched her neck. When she tried to grab for him he snatched both of her wrists up in his free hand and held them tight. "H-Hiei-dono!" she gasped, eyes widening.

"Hn." He smirked against her neck, fighting back his own voices telling him it was not a good idea. How could it not be a good idea, after all, if they both wanted it so strongly? He bit lightly on the junction where her neck and shoulder met and felt his body urge itself towards her even more when she let out a low moan. "Girl…" he groaned, his grip tightening in her hair. "If you keep making sounds like that, I won't be able to stop," he warned, nibbling her earlobe.

"Don't stop," she whispered as if it was the simplest explanation in the world. "Please, I beg of you, Hiei-dono…don't stop…"

He growled and brought their lips together forcefully, nipping and licking at her lower lip until she granted him entrance. He chuckled at how awkward she seemed at it. _**Nervous, Girl?**_

Hiei-dono…! She enjoyed the intimacy the connection caused.

His hand left her wrists then and he reached for her towel, intent on ripping it off her. He was intensely confused when she grabbed his hand and pulled away from their kiss, looking down. If it were not for the fact he noticed the tears in her eyes he would have been very angry with her.

"…I'm no good…" she whispered.

He touched her chin, making her look up at him. "Fool. I'll decide that." His lips took hers again, a bit more gentle this time. He took her hands from her towel and held them for a moment before reaching for her towel again and slowly removing it. When he heard her choke back tears, he glanced down and was genuinely surprised at the scars that made their way around her body. Without thinking, his lips left hers and he started licking and kissing each scar, sending her into an endless shudder. _**Perfect.**_

"Ngh…" Her fingers found their way into his hair and tugged. "I…need you…" Her hands trailed around him and she started tugging at his shirt, the urge to be close to him much to strong to fight. A frown made its way across her face when he chuckled and grabbed her hands.

"Hiei-dono…please…?"

He studied her face for a moment before letting go of her hands, granting them full permission to wander. He inhaled sharply when they did not return to his shirt but, instead, dropped shyly but surely down. "Girl…" he started, already accepting he would be unable to finish the sentence. Her eyes met his shyly and, if he had not had better control, he would have shuddered.

Her fingers grabbed and undid the belts holding his pants up. She bit her lower lip and held onto him as he lifted her up, her legs around his waist, and carried her to the bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, nipping at his earlobe. A cry left her when he pushed her down to the bed and his hips jerked against hers.

The way she was looking at him was driving him mad. Her hair was messy, her breathing was haggard, and her eyes were delightfully hazy. He growled low in his throat and took his shirt off. Her fingers started tracing his chest and abdomen lightly and he reached to strip himself of his pants to finally end the suffering they were putting themselves through.

"Lady Ayane! You're going to miss breakfast, Lady Ayane!" a voice called out from behind the door.

"Kurama…" the pair groaned.

"Lady Ayane…?" He started knocking.

Ayane frowned and looked away as Hiei stood and collected himself. "I'm not all that hungry, Kur-kun! I'll catch up with Urameshi-sama later!"

"All right! Also, Shou-san was looking for you! See you in a bit!" He shuffled away.

"Hmph. Screw Shou. Asshole…"

Hiei smirked at the sound of her swearing again. The smirk faltered when he realized she was doing her best to keep from looking at him.

"Girl, this is best…" he said, not even half-believing it himself. He balled his hands into fists when she rose and walked to the dresser as if she was the only one in the room.

After a few minutes she was dressed in a tank top and a pair of shorts, her weapons lying on the dresser to be strapped on as she left the room. He had been unable to move up to this point but just then he was by her side, holding her arm.

"Next time it would be simpler if everyone was asleep," he said simply, smirking when he saw the spark in her eyes return. He touched her cheek. "Hn. Don't brush out your hair."

Her eyes widened and she peeked at her reflection. "But, Hiei-dono, I have sex hair!" she squeaked.

He nodded curtly and grabbed the back of her head again, growling, "I like it" in her ear.

"O-okay…!" she choked out, her entire face burning.

_**Hurry downstairs, Girl**_, he muttered, his lips briefly pressed to hers. In an instant he was gone and she was left with a goofy look on her face and kiss-swollen lips.

* * *

Ayane: Ooo, cock-blocked!

Hiei: I hate you.

Ayane: Lies! You wanna make babies with me!

Kurama: Please review kindly…


	5. Chapter 5

First and foremost...loving shout-outs to all those who reviewed and/or added my story to their favorites and/or alerts! E-cookies go out to: Kagome141414, Gesshoku2, kungfupandabear, SweetxPandemonium, yuyulove, Moon Frost18, Mrs Sorbo, Hadassah Kiyoshi, and Shinigheart of ThunderClan! If I missed anyone let me know and I'll send you double e-cookies!

* * *

Ayane: Yay! Back again! (grins)  
Kurama: Lady Ayane, are you in the right mood and frame of mind to be writing…?  
Ayane: Psh. I'm fine. (shrugs his concern off)  
Hiei: Moron. You're upset.  
Ayane: No. I'm sleepy, irritated, and you're not helping things.  
Yusuke: So angry...  
Ayane: Whatevs. I don't own YYH or songs. Own all OCs and poems unless otherwise stated.

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter Five

_*Clang!*_

Sparks flew from the clash of the larger demon's spear and Ayane's own katana. She had forgotten the name of her opponent by this point and, honestly, cared very little. Her mind was in a distant place, thinking of crimson eyes and rough kisses.

"You're too slow, little girl!" the big purple creature laughed. "Maybe if you forfeit you and me can grab something to eat after this."

"It's 'you and I' and I don't hang out with things outside my species."

"Why you little bitch!" He swung at her again, eyes widening when she grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his own spear. He tried to look behind him to focus on her as she jumped onto his back, pushing him further onto his spear. "Urgh!"

She smirked and leaned down to his ear. "Now if you're real nice and beg for your life, I may just let you go with half your limbs…counting your head."

"Fine, fine! You win!" he coughed out, blood flying onto the arena.

"And the winner, by forfeit, is Ayane Shinata!"

Ayane leaped off the arena, grinning. She was happy she had not needed to kill anyone to get through the first match. However, as the matches got longer she knew she would have to kill at least a couple. This simple thought caused her smile to disappear.

_**Girl, you'll be fine.**_

_Hiei-dono…_ A faint smile returned and she did her best to not look towards him.

"That was so cool, Ayane-chan!" Sai cheered as she rejoined her team. "Wasn't she just awesome, Dai-kun?"

An orange-haired man nodded and gave Ayane a small smile. As far as Ayane knew, the man she knew as Daisuke had never spoken and it looked as though he was not going to start today either. Instead, he patted her on the head as she passed to take her place next to Sai.

"Hisashi-san, where did Shou-sama go?" Ayane dared to ask after noticing their leader was nowhere to be seen.

The blue-haired man smiled down at her. "He went for a walk after you got called to the ring. By the way, little one, I'm proud of the way you handled that fight."

"Thank you, Hisashi-san!" she exclaimed, giggling. A small part of her was irked that their "team leader" had bailed on them when she started fighting. How dare he? What right did he think he had to disrespect her that way? Sighing and shaking her head, she focused on Sai's fight. After all, none of her team members were aware of what she was anyway. Her eyes closely followed Sai and she became lost in the fight. The small demon played with shadows and could easily trick nearly any enemy he came across. Well, just about. Ayane and Sai had met before she joined the team. She had been training and shadows suddenly surrounded her. For a few moments she was alarmed but she used her senses to reach out and search for the one with the strongest life force. As soon as she had found it she reached out and grabbed the small youkai by his arm. She still remembered the sheepish grin on his face as he explained his team was recruiting and he thought she needed assistance with her training. She smiled to herself a bit as the memory filled her mind.

Sai was easily tricking this youkai he was up against at the moment. The three-horned female demon was obviously not used to focusing on the life force of her enemy. She was slowly approached by the shadows until she could no longer be seen by the spectators. There were a few moments of silence in the arena before the shadows merged back into one and Sai smirked, his opponent by his feet, unconscious. He stood there until the announcer finished her count then helped his opponent to the medical tent. He smiled broadly as he reached Ayane again.

"See? That was easy! One knock to her head and she's out cold!"

"I'm so proud of my sneaky brother," Ayane teased. "Just remember that trick won't work on everyone."

"I know. It never worked on you," he pouted.

"I'm too good," she laughed.

"Our next contestants will be Tobashi from Team Higura and Daisuke from Team Shou!" the announcer said into the mic.

Ayane clapped. "You go, Daisuke-san! He doesn't look too tough!"

"Go Dai-kun!" Sai cheered as the man made his way to the arena.

"Looks can be deceiving, little one," Hisashi said quietly, frowning at Daisuke's pink-haired opponent. "Be careful, Daisuke! He's a sneaky one!" He rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "I can't believe he's competing!"

Ayane frowned. "Do you know him, Hisashi-san?"

"Hai. He's a distant cousin of mine. I didn't think he was still alive, let alone part of this competition."

"Late addition?" She shrugged. "Daisuke-san's good, Hisashi-san. I have faith in him."

"If this Tobashi is as good as you say, Hisashi," Shou's snake-like voice said from behind Ayane, "then Daisuke may have to use his secret weapon."

Ayane was more curious of his statement than creeped out by the fact he was behind her. "What do you mean by that? What secret weapon does Daisuke-san have?" She was under the assumption that he had trained in martial arts and grew strong through that as that was the only thing he had ever shown them during training.

"Why do you think he doesn't speak, chibi?" he grunted, flicking the back of her head. "I would advise you to pay attention."

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, intent on not showing any pain or fear. She heard Hiei's voice in the back of her head asking if she would mind if he killed Shou, though, and a small smile alit on her face. After telling him to wait till they face each other in battle, she turned her focus to Daisuke's and Tobashi's fight which was only beginning. The pair chose to start the battle by slowly circling each other – Tobashi looking like a wild animal and Daisuke looking more like a regal gentleman eyeing up a disobedient child. She giggled silently at her small analogy and made a mental note to share it with Sai later.

"It seems as though Daisuke from Team Shou is bleeding! I didn't even see Tobashi move!" the announcer exclaimed, shocked as she watched blood drip off Daisuke's fingers onto the arena.

"That's because I didn't, Stupid," Tobashi snapped at her. "He made himself bleed." He turned his attention to Daisuke and laughed. "So you're a blood user then, hm? There are only a few left... I'm proud to have the pleasure of facing one," he almost purred.

Daisuke, as usual, said nothing. He raised his arm and let a few drops of blood land on his head and drip down. Ayane, curious, watched his lips move but heard no sound no matter how hard she strained.

"Hn. Girl, Koenma wants to speak to you," Hiei said by her ear.

She squeaked and spun around. "Hiei-dono, please don't sneak up on me like that! I was concentrating!"

"For a change," Shou snickered.

She noticed Hiei tense his arm and gently grabbed it, mentally telling him that Shou was not worth the effort. "Can't Koenma-sama wait until my team's finished?" she asked quietly, a bit disappointed she would have to leave Daisuke's battle.

"I was asked to come get you." He shrugged and turned his eyes to the battle. "What an odd team you have…"

Sai grabbed Ayane's wrist and pulled her down to a crouching position so she was at his level. "Ayane-chan," he whispered fiercely, "is this him?"

Ayane's eyes widened and she blushed and quickly stood up, eyes glued on the fight. She was not going to answer Sai's tactless question…at least not while Hiei was still standing there. Instead of thinking about it she focused her attention on the patterns of blood forming around the rink. It seemed as though it was deliberate and she was curious as to what this meant for Tobashi who was just standing in the center of it, smirking.

"So you think you'll keep me stuck in this little square then, Daisuke? Let me tell you that it's less than likely I'll stay in one spot!" Tobashi did some fancy leaps and bounds through the blood, not once landing in it, and ended up right behind Daisuke. "What're you gonna do now, Carrot-top?"

Daisuke's eye twitched and Ayane remembered that he had been bullied as a child for his hair during his short stay in the Ningenkai. She frowned then watched as Daisuke spun around, mouth wide and, for the first time, heard Daisuke's voice.

She was unsure as to whether or not she could call what came out of his mouth a voice as it sounded more like the screeching of a thousand amateur violinists practicing in one room for the first time ever. She dropped to her knees and covered her ears, surprised by the sudden outburst. Tobashi was apparently alarmed as well because he dropped the ring on his knees and was immediately barbecued by the high levels of electricity that had been streaming through Daisuke's blood. When Daisuke closed his mouth there was nothing left of Tobashi except a charred lump of flesh and almost a quarter of the audience had left due to bleeding from their eyes and ears.

"U-uhm…Daisuke wins through death of opponent! …Is it safe to walk on this now…?" the announcer wondered out loud.

"You're safe. The effect fades once the main opponent is eliminated," Hibashi told the announcer kindly, smiling. "Although I would suggest a thorough cleaning just in case."

"Of course! Can we call a five minute pause to tidy this up a bit?"

Shou stepped up to the ring and cracked his knuckles. "We don't need five minutes – let's do this now!"

Ayane felt Hiei's hand touch the back of her arm and she turned to him and nodded, a shy smile making its way across her face. "He walked out on my battle so I suppose he deserves the same respect… Sai-kun, Hibashi-san, Daisuke-san, I'm going with Hiei-dono to meet with Koenma-sama. I'll see you all soon, I hope." She bowed lightly then glared as Sai winked at her. He would get beat up for it later but he was getting his jabs in while he still could.

"Girl, don't let him speak that way to you," Hiei muttered.

She chewed on her lower lip and kept her eyes lowered to avoid his gaze. There was really nothing she could say to him except that she really had no choice in the matter. She frowned and kept quiet.

"Hn. Moron."

"I am not!" she snapped. He chuckled at her and she blushed and pouted. "You're not very nice to me!"

He smirked and glanced sideways at her. _**I was nice this morning.**_

Her eyes widened and she knew that her face was now twelve different shades of red and she would be unable to speak to him for the rest of the day. What an arrogant jerk!

"Ayane," a dead serious voice barked ahead of them.

The colour drained from Ayane's face and she slowly looked up. "Heh. How have you been, Koenma-sama…?" She inwardly cursed as her voice failed her little by little.

"It's good to have the two of you alone," Koenma said, glaring at the pair. "I've heard the two of you are becoming close. I'm here to tell you I refuse to honour this decision, Ayane. It's not good judgment on your part. What would your parents think?"

"Koenma-sama, that's not fair! You know as well as I do my parents only wanted my happiness! That's why they did what they did! It's terrible of you to assume otherwise!" She had tears in her eyes at the mention of her parents and the cruel assumption that spending time with Hiei would have shamed her family.

Hiei stood, staring blankly at the two and having no idea what was going on. He turned to Ayane and poked at her mind, asking her what was going on and why it seemed like she had met Koenma before. She, in turn, groaned and looked at him.

"Hiei-dono, Koenma-sama…happens to be my godfather… He was asked by my parents before they died to take care of me if anything should happen to them. Of course as soon as they signed their wills and took care of anything important…" She choked on unshed tears and took a deep breath to try to steady herself. "After they told me they'd come back…they never showed." Her voice was hollow and faint; this was her pushing back all the pain and anger she felt.

Koenma noticed Hiei still seemed lost and tried to explain in further detail, "Her parents both died in the war that took place less than a hundred years ago. I believe you were still with a band of thieves at that point?"

Ayane heard him asking himself why her parents had been involved in that particular war and her eyes widened. "Koenma, shut up! You idiot! If you know we've become friends then I'm guessing Kurama also mentioned my promise? I'm not about to let you break my promise to him so keep your mouth shut!" Her eyes changed as she snapped at him, changing from a bright hazel to an almost black-brown.

Koenma frowned and shook his head. "Calm down, Ayane. I was told of your promise. I was also told of a kiss that happened between the pair of you."

She blushed and Hiei noticed her eyes turned their normal shade of hazel. Hiei, after all, cared little about what was going on at the moment as he was still wondering how to get more information on her parents. At least Koenma was unaware of what had happened between them this morning… This part of his thought process he ran through her head, smirking when she let out a fake cough to cover up the squeak.

"I don't find this funny at all!" Koenma snapped, glaring at the two.

"If you wanted to protect her why did you not have her with you already?" Hiei asked curtly.

Koenma paused thoughtfully. "Ayane's good at flying under the radar." She tensed up at his word choice and he smiled slightly. "She's a sneaky one."

"So what do you want from me, Koenma?" she asked quietly, her face parallel to the ground. There had to be some terrible thing she had done to get his attention; he had said he would leave her be until she reached her 100th birthday which was about 20 years from now. It was far too soon for him to be nagging her for anything.

"Well, actually… Ayane, I'm going to need to assemble a new team of spirit detectives since I'm skeptical about Yusuke ever returning." He got a childish look on his face and rubbed his cheek with his index finger. "So, you see, I'm gonna need your help here…"

She blinked at him. "What do you want me to do about it? It's your job to find yourself detectives, not mine."

"That's why I'm coming to you," he said. "Ayane, I want you to become a Reiki Tantei when this tournament comes to an end."

* * *

Ayane: It's finished so please don't kill me! (whimpers)  
Kurama: Hiei, remove the katana from her neck…  
Hiei: Hn. (sheathes his katana) She asked for motivation…  
Ayane: You jerk! Please review. I'm sorry it took so long. Working almost 40 hours a week takes it outta you…


	6. Chapter 6

Ayane: So I figured to make up for the 3 months I left y'all hanging with the cock-block…I would update quicker.

(Hiei grunts)

Ayane: Ugh. You're such a guy…

Kurama: Lady Ayane does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, songs, or anything else copyrighted. She does own her OC and anything else that has not been copyrighted but may someday be by her.

Hiei: …What does that make the kit?

Ayane: Good question…

(Kurama sweatdrops)

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 6

"By _myself_?" Ayane squeaked, staring at Koenma with wide eyes.

"Of course not! I expect you to find helpers along the way as Yusuke did. Does this mean you'll take the job?"

Ayane looked from Koenma to the almost-forgotten-about Hiei and back again. "You've completely lost it! There's no way I could manage a whole team by myself! I can barely manage myself – you of all people know that!" She heard Hiei chuckle and did her best to ignore him. "I can't do this, Koenma!"

"Well, just think about it, all right?" Koenma's grin had turned into a prominent frown. It was as if he had been positive she would accept. "You showed such interest when you were just a child…"

"And I've grown up and have new dreams and want to live to raise a family someday… Well, maybe." She felt her cheeks heat up some with Hiei's eyes trained on her. "I don't want to lose years of my life – or my whole life – to some job working under you."

"Just…think about it…?" Koenma sighed. "It was good seeing you again, Ayane, it truly was. Father will be glad to know you're okay – he misses seeing your parents in some of those crazy meetings." He hesitantly reached out to hug her and smiled slightly when she clung to him, pushing her face into his shoulder.

She tried and failed to push back the tears that made their way to the surface and fell on her godfather's shoulder. "I miss them…" she whispered and felt him nod and hold her closer. "I don't see how it's fair…" She could feel Hiei's unease and tension over the situation and pulled away from Koenma, wiping her tears away. "I'll think about it," she affirmed after clearing her throat.

"Thank you, Ayane. I'll see you again soon." He bowed and walked away, leaving Ayane and Hiei alone and very uncomfortable.

"So, uhm, that's my godfather," she started awkwardly.

"Hn." Why did that sound more like, "Yeah, I got that, Stupid"?

"I'm sorry." He looked at her as if to ask what for and she continued, "I shouldn't have cried. I feel like such a baby! It's just been so many years since I've seen my parents and he just kept bringing them up and I just kept thinking about them and—" She cut herself off as Hiei touched her cheek. When he pulled back he had her tears on his hand and she blushed at the tiny amount of interaction. "Sorry."

He muttered something she was unable to hear and motioned for her to follow him up the stairs opposite the ones Koenma had gone up. The pair climbed a couple flights of stairs until they reached a slightly ajar door. He nudged it open and they found themselves in a small domed glass room with the other three guys.

"Hello, Hiei. Good evening, Lady Ayane," Kurama greeted as the pair entered.

"Hey, Kurama-kun." She smiled warmly at him and bounded over, anxious to get away from Hiei's side for a little while. After all, he needed yelled at for telling Koenma about Hiei's and her little incident.

"Yo, Ayane, your team leader's being pummeled!" Yusuke exclaimed, distracting her in a very effective manner. She was instantly at his side, leaning over the desk that sat in front of them to stare down at the arena. Yusuke was right; Shou was getting destroyed. Not only was he unable to block but every so often he would land on a spot of blood that was still charged and get a small shock. "What an idiot! He should have let them clean off the stage!"

Ayane frowned, watching Shou's opponent flip through the air and land lightly between lines of blood. It was obvious how this fight was going as Shou's opponent landed another hard punch against his ribcage. Shockingly, she found herself not even flinching at the punches and kicks landed on Shou's body; she thought herself a horrible person for this.

_**Don't be a moron.**_

She smiled softly to herself as Hiei's voice invaded her mind. It was a comfort to know he was even attempting to make her feel better.

"Hn," he muttered out loud, though only she knew why.

"Your team leader isn't doin' so well," Kuwabara stated, glancing over at Ayane. "And, hey, shouldn't you be down there encouraging him anyway?"

She smiled over at him. "Nah, I don't like 'im," she responded truthfully. "He's a total pig and a womanizer and, honestly, he scares me a bit… I don't like being alone in a room with him at all." She felt Hiei fall away a bit and remembered that he had seen their one-on-one time earlier. "He makes me uncomfortable."

"Oh, dear…" Kurama murmured suddenly, wide green eyes glued to Ayane.

It took Ayane a moment to process why he was looking at her like that then her eyes widened as well and she turned and glared at Hiei. "You bastard! How dare you!" She ignored the other two who were looking among the three of them as if they were all nuts; Shou's fight had been totally forgotten about.

"Lady Ayane…" the red head started, frowning.

"No, Kurama, this isn't your fault. You let me keep my secrets when they matter. This... This just can't be forgiven. It wasn't your story to tell!" she snapped at Hiei. "You weren't even supposed to know!"

Hiei glared at her. "I didn't need to read your mind to figure it out, you fool. It's in your body language every time you mention him or he gets near you."

"Then don't look at me!" she cried out, spinning on her heel and storming out. She heard Kurama and the other two who knew how to use their vocal chords shout after her but just kept moving, not caring where she was going or what she would do when she got there.

"Ayane-chan!" a familiar voice called out to her. She paused mid-step and glanced over, watery eyes slowly focusing on her younger team mate. Sai's smile grew into a concerned frown. "Ayane-chan, why are you crying?"

She threw herself at him, falling to her knees and shuddering violently each time she forced back a sob. She was unable to speak and knew he would not make her; she was glad for this. The last thing she needed was to talk about how Hiei had hurt her unintentionally. She knew he was only looking out for her but that was too far in her book. There was no need for him to invade her mind or study her movements or anything. And there was certainly no need for him to tell Kurama about it. More sobs tried to force their way out as she remembered the crushed look on her friend's face. By this time there was a strong likelihood that all four of them knew and would rush down after her soon.

She had to move.

In less than a second she was on her feet, racing to the girl's room. She was thankful that Sai was on the same wavelength as she was when she heard the Urameshi team race down the stairs and asked frantically where she was. He told them she had ran past him and asked if they would help him look for her. The good guys that they were, of course they agreed. She felt for their presences as they disappeared but noticed one stayed behind. Frowning, she locked herself in a stall and prayed to whatever gods would listen that he would decide against coming in.

She guessed the gods hated her today.

His presence grew nearer and nearer to the bathroom and she held her breath when the door finally opened. He slowly moved to the stall she hid in and stood there for a moment before gently knocking.

"Someone's in here," she said coldly.

"Girl, come out of there. You're being a moron."

She ripped the stall door open, intent on yelling at him for calling her a moron again, but stopped when she saw his arrogant smirk. "You sneaky bastard," she muttered, crossing her arms against her chest and glaring at him. "What do you want? You have thirty seconds." She knew this was futile – it was practically impossible for Hiei to apologize.

He stared at her, eyes hard but with an undertone of helplessness. She knew he thought he had been in the right but she was angry with him and it was hard for him to understand why. With little to no understanding of emotions came absolutely zero understanding of females. He would have done the same for any of his team members – his friends – but the woman he had come close to being intimate with he apparently was not supposed to say anything about.

"Five…four…three…two…one. Sorry, your time's up." She pushed past him to leave the bathroom but he grabbed her arm, pulling her back to face him. "You had your time. Now please just leave me alone…"

He held her arm a little tighter, silently telling her he was not going to be letting her go anytime soon. He absentmindedly wound some of her hair around his fingers with his free hand. "You make absolutely no sense," he finally grumbled.

That sent her past the point of hysterical; she started laughing. It had taken him almost three minutes to figure out what to do or say to her and that was all he could come up with. She could not for the life of her figure out why she was laughing and the sudden look of absolute confusion on his face just increased the laughter. By the time she finally contained herself to just a few remaining giggles she had tears streaming down her face which she hurriedly wiped away, just a grin remaining.

"Oh, Hiei-dono…you'll never understand… There are just some things that are better left to the secret keeper to tell. Thank you for caring enough to worry, though."

At this comment, he dropped his hands and shoved them into his pockets. "Hn. Moron. I don't care."

"Keep telling yourself that," she laughed, walking past him to get to the sinks. Instead of getting the chance to look at her reflection in the mirrors, though, she found herself sitting on the sinks, facing Hiei who was right in front of her.

"…" He stared at her for a long time, almost wondering himself how in the seven hells they had wound up in this position. He just remembered her walking past and getting a strong whiff of her as she did so.

"H-Hiei-dono, this is a public bathroom…" she whispered, breathless.

"Hn. It's out of order," he muttered, alluding to the fact that he had put a sign on the door before he came in.

"Oh." She blushed and tried to remember why she was so angry with him but seemed to lose her train of thought every time she looked into his eyes. She did not understand why he captivated her so but he had since the first time she laid eyes on him. A shudder ran through her as he slid his hands from her hips to her waist. "Hiei-dono…"

Every fiber of their beings wanted to just take the other right where they were. They were unable to tear themselves from each other no matter how hard they tried. Hiei pulled her down and brought his mouth to her neck, smelling and tasting her for the second time that day. This time, though, he made sure there would be no interruptions. He nibbled at her neck and made his way down to her collarbone, smirking when she let out a small mewling sound. He felt the heat come of her body in waves which made her scent so much stronger. One hand found its way into her hair and he clutched at it, pulling her head back and almost thrusting against her when he heard her tight gasp.

"Gods, Hiei-dono...!" she whimpered as his teeth scraped against her. She clutched at his cloak sleeves, needing anything at all to keep herself steady. Her lips ached to be touched by his but she enjoyed what he was doing so much she just bit down on them to try to ignore the ache and keep herself quiet.

He paused what he was doing and stared at her face. "Moron, you're bleeding," he said, almost gently. Before even considering that tasting more than just her skin would be a bad idea, he swooped down and took her lips in his. He let out a low growl as her blood fell in his mouth. It was sweet with only a light coppery taste, unlike most blood seemed to be. He pulled back slightly, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind; he knew he had learned something at one time about sweet blood. His gaze pierced hers and he tried to collect his thoughts but found he could not. Instead, the half-breed took her lips in his again, nipping at them to taste more of her. It was Ayane who pulled away this time as she gripped his sleeves.

"Hiei-dono, I'm not so sure about this." She nodded to the bathroom walls. "And, plus, everyone's awake now and some people can't read too well and might walk in and…" The more he stared at her, the quieter she got, until her voice was gone. She shuddered as his tongue trailed up the side of her neck and he nibbled on her earlobe; she let out a moan.

That was enough for Hiei; he whipped her around and brought her backside close to him, his clothed and erect manhood rubbing against her. He grabbed a breast with each hand and went back to nibbling on her neck as she wrapped her arms around his own neck. With each moan or sharp intake of breath she took, he tried to pull her closer. Slowly, calculatingly, he slid one hand down her stomach and into her shorts. He paused when she gasped and tightened her grip in his hair.

"I'm not like him," he muttered. "I won't move forward."

She sucked on her lower lip for a moment before taking one of her hands and placing it on the one he had in her shorts. "I'm sorry…" she murmured as she pulled it out. "I can't handle that just yet…"

"Hn." He put his hand back on her breast, lips on her neck. It took everything in him to not start lifting her shirt little by little to get closer to her, to feel that soft, scarred, beautiful skin under his fingers. He settled for kissing her shoulders, her neck, her face, and any other areas of skin he could get to that was not hidden by some kind of blasted fabric. His body ached more with each moan that left her throat.

"Hiei-dono, please stop teasing me…?" she begged breathily, clutching his hands.

He chuckled against her and felt her shudder. "It's you who's torturing me, Girl," he told her huskily.

"B-but…" She whimpered as he gripped her breasts harder.

_**Trust me,**_ he whispered through her mind, _**I am the one being teased…**_

Her chest ached; she wanted him but she wanted him to know the truth first. She was torn with her conflicted feelings. "I—" She was cut off when he spun her back around suddenly and pushed his lips hard to hers. Her mind was spinning and she felt light; she knew this was what had to happen. She knew they had to be right.

And she knew she would have to make him wait longer for her.

When he noticed her frowning against his lips, he pulled back and stared down at her. He saw conflict in her eyes and it took a moment for him to collect himself when he realized it was over. It took only a second for him to distance himself from her although he still felt himself completely drawn to her.

"I shouldn't until you know the truth. I'm so sorry. I just don't want to be used." She was not looking at him so she missed the slight widening of his eyes and continued on, "It's really important to me that you know. If you can wait until then I promise we can go as far as we want. Until then…I think it's best if we avoid being alone." It broke her heart to say this and she tried her best to fight back the tears that threatened to blur her eyesight. "Hiei-dono…I respect you far too much for mindless sex. I'm sorry…" She raced out of the bathroom after coming to the conclusion that he would not move from his spot. It took a few moments for her to stop running and to stop and calm herself; she had wound up at the door to the box her godfather was in. She took a deep breath and put her hand on the doorknob.

It was time for her to talk to him.

* * *

Ayane: w00t! Finished in, like, two days! My muse (seems to be, for the moment) back! (dances around happily)

Hiei: Moron…what are you doing?

Ayane: Hiei! I cock-blocked you again! People are gonna hate my character now! (grins like a lunatic)

Kurama: While Lady Ayane collects herself I would like to take this time to ask you to kindly review this chapter. (smiles charmingly)

Ayane: 61 to 69 hours a week, Kurama! You wouldn't be sane, either! (cackles)


	7. Chapter 7

Hiei: Girl, what are you doing?

Ayane: I dunno. What're you doing?

Yusuke: She's lost it; it's official.

Ayane: Where's Kuwa-san and Kur-kun?

Hiei: Hiding. From you.

Ayane: I'm not crazy! … I do not own YYH or anything else copyrighted by someone other than me. I do own anything such as OCs or poems or whatever isn't copyrighted. Also, thanks to all the people who favourited, commented on, and/or set my story to their alerts. I love all of youuuuu

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 7

The cracks on her wall were very interesting that night as she lay awake, terrified by the thought of what she would tell her team the next day as well as what she would tell _him_. Koenma asked her to start immediately when she told him she would become the next Reiki Tantei. She frowned as she remembered the conversation.

~*~*~Earlier~*~*~

"_Ayane! What're you doing up here?" Koenma asked as Ayane walked into the room._

"_Well, I've been thinking that maybe I could do a trial run as a Reiki Tantei…?" she said softly, her mind still in another place; she was thinking of confused crimson eyes and her heart was slowly breaking._

_Koenma smiled. "This is great news, Ayane! I have the perfect mission for you, too. Of course, you'll have to leave the tournament for a few days but since you're so close to Yusuke I figure you'll be okay." He paused. "Have you told him you're his cousin yet?"_

"_Of course not…" she sighed, frowning. "Kurama-kun seems to be the only one who has any idea what I am. He knew my parents."_

_Nodding, Koenma glanced down at the battle that raged on below them. Some time had passed since her team's battles had ended with Shou being the only one who had lost._

"_Wait…" she started, his words finally sinking in; she raised her widened eyes to stare at him. "Are you telling me I have to leave the tournament to do your bidding? Are you absolutely nuts? Do you even _know_ how long and hard I've trained for this?"_

"_And out of those two years," he began slowly, "how many times did you actually get the chance to use even a fraction of your true power…? Don't you feel it's best to practice using that power before you try to take on any of these higher level demons?"_

_She found herself unable to argue with his logic and hung her head in defeat. "Hai."_

"_All right then. You speak to Yusuke when you get the opportunity and I'll figure out the latest you can go without missing the tournament."_

"_Hai." She bowed slightly and turned away, anxious to take a long walk to clear her mind and think._

~*~*~Present~*~*~

She submerged herself deeper in her blankets, forcing away a shiver. When she had made up her mind to return to her room, it was well past dark and there was a chill in the air. For some reason she had decided to open the bedroom window wide when she got inside; she told herself that she was just overheating but she knew deep down the real reason.

She wanted him to visit her.

Her eyes blurred as she felt her body finally begin to sink into a deep state of sleep. _It'll all have to wait till tomorrow_, she told herself. The strain of the day was finally catching up to her and she shut her eyes, huddled under her blankets, as she slipped into a much needed lack of consciousness. A shadowy figure slipped in through her window the moment her senses shut down as if it had been waiting the whole time for her to fall into her secretive dreamland.

"…Moron…" Hiei scoffed as he studied the back of her head. For some reason, against his better judgment, he found himself trying to get close to her again. Before realizing it, he had moved to lay behind her and had his arm around her waist, almost protectively. He amused himself a bit by thinking about how perfectly she fit into his arms before he frowned and quickly flinched away. There was no way what he thought could be anywhere near true. After all, there had to be another explanation. Despite repeating this to himself, he knew it was not true. There was only ever one reason someone would fit so perfectly against someone else's body. It would also explain the deep fascination and attraction he had towards her.

_Dammit_.

He turned away from her, sitting on the opposite edge of the bed. She had found him and now there was no escaping from it. They were meant to be mates. He grumbled to himself quiet enough to ensure she would not awaken. There was no way he would let some stupid fable rule his destiny. He glared at the floor menacingly, as if he was trying to burn holes in the thing. It had to be something else. After all, once she knew absolutely everything about him, there would be no reason for her to want him anyway.

For some reason, Hiei's heart turned cold at this thought. If it were not completely crazy he would have said that he was saddened by this idea. That was ridiculous, though, because Hiei never became sad for any reason.

He glanced over his shoulder at her again then, after a moment's thought, lay behind her once more. He held her close to him, ignoring his mind as it argued against his actions. Instead of forcing himself to endure any more of his own thoughts, he snuck into her mind, noticing how blissfully unaware she was when she slept. His eyes narrowed at the first thing he saw: her going to Koenma to agree to a trial run as a Reiki Tantei and her skipping a part of the tournament for a mission. He tore himself out of her mind and growled as he rolled her onto her back and shook her awake.

"Ow! What the hell!" Ayane blinked hard a few times as she came to her senses and her eyes widened as they fell on crimson ones. "Hiei-dono…I said we shouldn't be near each other."

"You're staying and fighting!" he snapped, gripping her shoulders.

"Huh? …Oh. You went in while I slept… Great." Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she shoved him off her with surprising speed, quickly standing across the room from him. "I fail to remember giving you permission," she hissed. A cry left her lips when stood in front of her and grasped the back of her head, forcing her to look at him.

"Never talk to me like that again," he seethed, glaring down at her. "Just because… Hn. It doesn't give you the right!"

She hesitantly reached up and stroked his face, noticing his grip loosened a bit. "I want to explain to you my reasoning, Hiei-dono. I was going to come to you first thing tomorrow." She felt his grip loosen even more and she adjusted her head so she could see him better. "I need to know I have a future and ever since I was a child I've wanted to see the worlds. I promise you I will only be gone maybe a week. Hopefully Urameshi-sama can postpone any of my battles that come up. I'm sorry for getting nasty with you, Hiei-dono…"

"Girl, you can't leave this island," he tried to warn her again.

"I'll be back," she assured him.

"You fool, listen to me! If you must leave this island then I will need to go with you." There was no way he could tell her that they were meant to be mates; if she had known that then she would not have made the reckless decision of avoiding him and staying behind when the consequences could be too much for both of them. He dropped his hands to his sides, not sure what to do at that point.

"…Are you requesting to be my partner? Do you really want to be a Reiki Tantei again?" Her voice was soft and curious.

He paused, glaring at a non-existent object out the window. Did he want to return to that life? That life brought him friends, his sister, and now her...but it had also brought him so much pain. He turned his glare to her. "Hn." He was unsure what he wanted to do but he knew no harm could come of her and he would fight to the death to ensure that.

_You fool_, he thought to himself. _You were so suspicious of her – this was why you were the one prominent figure in her memories._ He frowned and looked away from her. "Sleep, Girl. I will go to Koenma in the morning with you."

"H-hai, Hiei-dono!" she stuttered with widened eyes as she bowed. She straightened and hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

"Moron," he muttered, a bit surprised when she giggled at him.

"You always know just what to say," she teased, pulling away from him. Her hand went to her mouth to stifle a yawn and a small blush dusted her cheeks. "I should get back to bed, I think…"

He moved to the side to let her pass then followed close behind her, sitting on the edge of the bed. They studied each other for a moment before Hiei placed his katana on the floor and removed his boots, taking his place next to her. Neither said anything for a little while and the light tension soon faded.

"Goodnight, Hiei-dono," she whispered, turning away.

He lay on his back, staring up at her ceiling. "Hn."

"Lady Ayane! Lady Ayane, please wake up!" Kurama's frantic voice called between his knocks on the door. "Lady Ayane!"

Ayane blinked hard a few times, waking herself up. She glanced around the room and saw Hiei still sleeping, as if Kurama's shouting was not going on. They had wound up with his arm around her protectively and her head on his chest; she blushed. How was she going to get out of this one?

"Lady Ayane, I'm coming in! This is important! Please be decent!"

She stared at the door as the red head came bustling in, more than a bit surprised. "You got through all those locks…"

Kurama nodded and glanced over at them, eyes widening slightly. "We had special keys made… Lady Ayane, what…?" he trailed off, unsure of what was going on.

"He's tired." She blushed. "I didn't expect this either, Kur-kun."

He smiled lightly then remembered why he was there and his expression hardened. "I wasn't aware you were leaving the tournament, Lady Ayane."

"Huh?"

"Yusuke wasn't either, for that matter. He was more than a little surprised when he saw your papers and the new teammate. He's not sure what he should do about it."

Ayane frowned and tried to sit up, but Hiei grumbled and held her tighter. A permanent blush coated her cheeks and she glared at Kurama's chuckling. "Kur-kun, I have no idea what you're talking about. I talked to Koenma a bit yesterday but I signed no papers and never told my team about my meeting." She paused for a moment, realizing that at this point only Hiei knew about it. "Kur-kun, Koenma asked me to do a very important job for him for a few days as a test run to…be the next Reiki Tantei."

"Girl, who're you talking to?" Hiei muttered, putting his free arm over his eyes.

"Erm, Hiei-dono, Kurama's here…" That was all it took for Hiei, his shoes, and his katana to disappear out the window. "Ow…talk about whiplash," she muttered, sitting up and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Reiki Tantei, hm?" Kurama asked thoughtfully, deciding it better to focus on sorting out paperwork before he even mentioned Hiei again. "So Koenma must have done all of that work for you then. Will you be returning?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I sure hope so; Hiei-dono will kill me if I don't, after all."

"I believe he's past all that, Lady Ayane," the red head responded, a playful smile pasted on his face. "We'll need you in the box to sort out this mess – your team leader is already down there," he added, his expression reminding her why she had been so angry at Hiei yesterday.

"Right. Be down in thirty minutes." She frowned as he left and closed the door behind him. First things first, she moved to close her window; she did not need Hiei sneaking back in after his rude exit. With a satisfied nod after that task was finished, she grabbed some clothing and entered the bathroom. She smiled a little as she removed her nightshirt – the small piece of fabric smelled like the little fire demon who had slept with her last night. A knock sounded on her bathroom door and she sighed, irritated that he had gotten back in regardless. "Hiei-dono, I'm a bit busy…" The man on the other end said nothing, just stood there, making her more than a little bit uncomfortable. She walked over and unlocked the door after wrapping a towel around her body. "You can come in…"

The door slowly opened and the spiky-haired fire demon stared at her. "I'll go with you," he muttered after a long pause.

"Really?..." Her eyes were wide and she felt a smile forcing its way across her face. "Oh, Hiei-dono, this is great! I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing!" She noticed his slight eye twitch and laughed slowly. "Well, no one ever said Koenma hired good Reiki Tantei…"

He toyed with a strand of her hair for a moment before catching himself and dropping his hand. "You smell," he muttered, turning away to walk to and sit on her bed.

"Gee, thanks," she responded sarcastically. "Like you smell any better."

He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Shower, Girl."

"Out, Boy," she teased, pointing to the open door. She stuck her tongue out when he glared at her yet followed directions anyway. Before hopping into the shower, she closed and locked the bathroom door, killing all hopes either of them had about a combined shower. Her face flushed when the thought crossed her mind. _Be good, Ayane! He needs to know first!_

_Does he really, though…?_ a darker side of her mind asked.

"Gah!" she let out a frustrated cry and turned the shower on. Perhaps a cold shower to start the day would be best…

"I never said you could remove me from the tournament! I was supposed to talk to them first!" Ayane snapped, glaring across the table at Koenma. Somehow the Makai ruler had turned his V.I.P. box into an impromptu office. She had ignored all that when she burst through the double doors, Hiei following behind.

"I thought you were going to speak to them last night. I didn't think it would cause such an uproar…" Koenma, in his normal form, seemed stressed and tinier than usual compared to all the angry males towering over him.

"And who's this replacement I've heard about? I thought I wouldn't be gone that long!"

"It's just in case!"

"Koenma, so help me if you're up to something…" Just then, a figure darted out and launched itself at Ayane, barely giving her enough time to react. She brought her arms in the form of a "x" in front of her as the person attacked.

A small chuckle came from the cloaked figure. "You've gotten better, Ayane-onee-sama. Maybe one day I'll reach you. For now, I'll probably only slow your team down…"

Ayane blinked a few times then launched herself at the girl, ripping the hood of her cloak down. "Rina-chan? What in the seven hells are you doing here? Koenma, what is the meaning of this?"

Koenma seemed to be shrinking to hide from her. "Well I remember you telling me she owed you…" he mumbled.

"Gods, Koenma… Enma-sama will hear about this," she growled. She stared back up at the taller, grey-haired girl in front of her and shook her head. "Good to see you again, Rina-chan. It's been a while."

"Almost 25 years."

They girls smiled at each other for a moment before Yusuke interrupted the silence, "So, guys, what's going on with the tournament? I kinda need to know this stuff."

Laughing, Ayane turned back to face Yusuke. "Sorry. I'm leaving for a while on a Reiki Tantei trial run and Koenma, without my permission, has found me a replacement until I come back."

"You're gonna be the next Reiki Tantei?" Kuwabara sputtered in unison with Yusuke.

"Yeah… Why? Is there something wrong with that?" She glared at them.

"Well…what kinda powers do ya actually have…?" Kuwabara asked.

"Oh, Ayane-onee-sama is amazing! She can—" Rina's mouth was covered by Ayane's hand and a look of confusion crossed her face.

Ayane sighed. "I can take care of business when need be," she said simply.

_**What's that about, Girl?**_ Hiei asked, studying her.

_**Something you'll find out eventually**_, she teased, fighting back a smile.

Yusuke ran his fingers through his hair, groaning. "Fine, fine. So is Rina your temporary replacement then, Ayane?" He thrust the paperwork at her. "You'll both need to sign here, here, and here. Geez, I hate paperwork…"

Ayane and Rina ran quickly through the paperwork, neither wanting to spend much time doing it. Ayane's team and Rina were then introduced – Shou was, as usual, absent – and the meeting came to a close.

"Oh, by the way," Ayane started as the papers disappeared into an envelope. "I'm gonna be kidnapping Hiei-dono for this mission."

* * *

Ayane: I can just imagine the looks on their faces…

(Hiei shakes his head)

Ayane: Well, no one asked you anyway, so nyah!

Kurama: We hope you enjoyed this slightly-longer chapter.

Ayane: I know it seemed a bit rushed and some parts don't sound too fantastic, but I tried my best with the time and energy I had at my disposal!


	8. Chapter 8

Ayane: And with some time between work, I'll start the next chapter!

Hiei: Moron… Take a break.

Ayane: Nuuu! (is also playing "Pockie Ninja" and looking for puppies and using social sites)

Yusuke: You yawned. Three times.

Ayane: …Shaddup. I don't own YYH or songs. I own OCs and poems. Enjoy!

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 8

"You agreed to this, Hiei?" Kurama asked, his expression bemused.

"Of course he didn't, Kur-kun. I told you that I'm kidnapping him!" Ayane exclaimed, eyes wide and serious. "Koenma hired me and I have no idea what I'm doing! I'm forcing him to be my mentor!"

Sai, who had been sitting quietly with the other two team members, stood up and looked at her. "You can't go… If you go, we won't be there to protect you. You can't go!"

Ayane paused, taken aback by the sound of sheer desperation in his voice. "Sai-kun…"

"Hn. Don't be stupid; I'll protect her," Hiei muttered, grabbing everyone's attention. "I won't stand there and watch the weakling die."

"Hey! I'm not weak!" she snapped, glaring at him.

"Moron."

"So it's decided then!" Koenma exclaimed, looking anxious to get all the people glaring at him out of his V.I.P. box. "I think tomorrow morning would be a good time for you both to go. I'll brief you on the details of the mission later.

With a tiny salute, Ayane left the box, Rina following close behind the shorter girl and gushing about "catching up". Sai, after a few moments, ran out after the girls, and Daisuke and Hisashi stood and bowed out. With the only people left in the box now being ex-Reiki Tantei, the toddler-looking leader looked hard at Hiei.

"You protect her. If she dies, Hiei…" he trailed off as if he himself was afraid of what the repercussions may be.

Hiei grunted, staring at the wall. There was more silence for a while before Hiei, much to everyone's surprise, broke it. "You imbeciles don't get it…I don't have a choice. When the girl decided to do this stupid job, I had no other option but to go with her."

Yusuke chuckled. "So she wasn't kidding then? She's really kidnapping you?"

Crimson eyes narrowed dangerously as if to say, "yeah, right, Idiot. How would she pull that one off?"

"Hiei, I don't quite understand either…" Kurama murmured, frowning. "How does Lady Ayane have any influence over your decisions?"

The fire demon was no longer glaring – in fact, he almost looked defeated; his eyes fell to the floor. Surrounded by the only people he had ever dared to call his friends, the words he felt he would never dare utter tumbled out:

"We're meant to be…mates."

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

"Ayane-chan, I can't believe you're really leaving us," Sai pouted, sitting on the girl's bed. "Those guys are no fun and you're sticking me with them?"

"I'll be there, too, Sai-san! You won't be alone!" Rina reminded him, grinning. In the time it took the three to leave Koenma's box and make it to Ayane's bedroom, the cat demon and the shadow demon had become friends.

Ayane frowned and flicked one of the well-hidden cat ears on her friend's head. "Don't get cozy. I won't be gone for long. This is still my team."

"Ooo, as defensive as ever, Ayane-onee-sama."

"Stop calling me that."

Rina sniffled. "Don't you love me anymore, Ayane-onee-sama…?" She brought her nose close to Ayane, sniffing her. After a few moments she jerked away, hissing. "You stink like that man you walked in with."

"His name's Hiei," Sai started in a teasing manner. "Ayane-chan's in love with him." He laughed as he jumped off the bed to avoid a smack to the head.

The cat demon frowned. "Ayane-onee-sama, he's not good enough for you."

"Rina-chan, he's like me; he's a forbidden child." She noticed Sai start at her comment and shrugged. "There's still a bunch you guys don't know about me, Sai-kun. Rina was there when I needed to use my powers for the very first time – I haven't used them since."

"Is that why you decided to become a Reiki Tantei, Ayane-onee-sama…?" Rina asked, picking at a spot on the comforter. She received a nod and sighed, digging her claws into the bed. "You be careful. Don't let him hurt you. If you don't come back in one piece…I'm holding him personally responsible." Her eyes and tone were dark and dangerous.

"He won't hurt me." The other two looked at her, surprised by her calm, dead-serious tone. "Hiei-dono wouldn't hurt me, don't worry. He's put up with me this long without killing me… Plus, Rina-chan, you know better than anyone there's a high chance he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me if I went all out." She smiled faintly at Rina's sharp nod.

Sai frowned. "Ayane-chan…what do you mean?" His curiosity was getting the better of him. The only fighting techniques he had ever seen her use were her hand-to-hand, katana and shuriken, and her fire powers. What had she been keeping from them the whole time?

Rina looked at Ayane, who hesitantly nodded, then turned to face Sai. "Know this, boy," she started. "If any of this information leaves this room, you won't have to worry about the rest of the tournament."

"Rina-chan, I trust him," Ayane laughed, noticing Sai's eyes widen in fear. "He won't tell anyone; no need to scare him."

"Oh. Heh. Sorry, Sai-san! I get a little carried away sometimes." She lowered her voice a bit to ensure no one on the outside would hear her words. "I'll start from when Ayane-onee-sama and I first met…"

~*~*~Hiei~*~*~

"Shut up, Idiots," Hiei finally snapped, irritated with the laughter that had not stopped since the word "mates" came out of his mouth.

"Hiei's right," Kurama murmured, the only one who kept a straight face. "This isn't a joking matter in the slightest." He stared at the others until they calmed themselves then looked back at Hiei. "Are you sure about this, Hiei? Something like this shouldn't be taken lightly…"

Hiei scowled. "Of course I'm sure, Kit. She…_fits_," he spat, knowing another laughing fit would start up in the peanut gallery. "Now you're laughing too?" he growled, seeing the amused look on the red-head's face.

"Not about that, Hiei. She's just spent so long looking for you without knowing the real reason why then you find out why before she does. I find it quite humorous, actually…"

"Hn."

"She doesn't know?" Yusuke exclaimed, eyes wide. "Well we gotta tell her! She has a right to—" Hiei's katana was at his throat and he rolled his eyes. "You telling me you don't want the girl or something? Hard to believe since you followed her in here like a lost puppy and said you'd go with her on a mission."

"One more word, Urameshi…" he warned.

"Hiei, there's no need for violence," Kurama said calmly, placing a hand in his friend's shoulder. Once the katana was removed, he took back his hand. "Yusuke's right, though. It may end up being disastrous for you both if she doesn't find out soon."

The small demon lowered his crimson eyes to the floor, thinking of the repercussions. If mates meet and one dies, even before the marking ritual, the other is destined to die within a few hours. Too far a distance or too long a separation between mates and they both become deathly ill. No matter what, both of them will die. He doubted telling her any of this would change her mind about becoming a Reiki Tantei, however, and he shook his head. "She'll know when she's ready, Kit."

"I'm a good influence – even Shorty's getting respect for females!" Kuwabara laughed, going quiet again once he saw the death glare in his direction.

"Sweet." Hiei's single word got everyone's attention. His eyes widened slightly as he started to realize something. "Kit, her blood was…sweet. There's only one creature in all three worlds whose blood is sweet."

Kurama frowned and shook his head. "Hiei, don't… It's not in your best interest to talk to her about this. She wants to tell you on her own."

Hiei shook his head. "Idiot, I'd rather die!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara stood there, the only ones in the room not knowing, feeling the tension in the air. Even they knew that whatever was going on they would have to wait to ask about.

"Even at the expense of Lady Ayane's life…? Hiei, you've tasted her blood – I doubt any of us want to know the circumstances, but it happened. How can you just reject her after that? I find it doubtful you'll be able to turn away from her… This is your own doing, Hiei."

"Hn. You don't know me as well as you thought," he growled before disappearing.

The box was quiet for a while before Kuwabara asked if they should go after him.

"He's just going to clear his head…" Kurama murmured, frowning.

Yusuke decided now was the time to ask, "So what the hell just happened?"

Kurama glanced over at the leader of the Reikai who had been silent up until this point. "It's Ayane's decision, Yusuke," Koenma said, nodding at Kurama. "Perhaps one day she'll let you know. For now all I can tell you is demons that are destined to be mates, once they meet, are joined by an incredible force. Hiei, after discovering Ayane's intentions, made the decision to go with Ayane so that they could both live. If something happens to Ayane while she's gone, if she goes too far, or if she's gone too long both of them will die."

"That's a load of crap! There's no way!" Yusuke sputtered. Kuwabara just frowned and nodded, always the romantic.

"It's true, Yusuke," Kurama stated, sighing. "If Hiei changes his mind after coming to his new conclusion, they will both, inevitably, die."

"That selfish little punk," Kuwabara snapped, glaring at a nearby wall. "How could he do that to her, just 'cause he's not happy with something he found out? Kayko doesn't like a lot of things about Urameshi but she still stays with him."

Kurama smiled smally at the comparison. "Kuwabara, I think you're misunderstanding something. You see, destined mates don't have to love each other the way Yusuke and Kayko-chan do. In fact, most destined mates never find each other and some, when they find each other, despise each other the rest of their lives. Compatibility doesn't seem to play a part in the twisted web of fate."

The taller boy frowned. "But…Ayane-chan… She loves him. I've seen it."

"We all have, Kuwabara. Maybe if you understood the circumstances you would see it from Hiei's point of view. You weren't around for the times Hiei and I were. I've forgiven and I see it differently now…but you both know Hiei well enough now to know he can hold grudges for far too long."

"Gr… This sure would make a lot more sense if we knew what was going on," Yusuke grumbled, crossing his arms. "Hiei's attitude ticks me off sometimes!"

At that moment, Ayane barged into the box, wide-eyed and frantic. "Where is he?" she shouted, eyes focused on Kurama. "Where did that stupid fire demon go now?"

"Lady Ayane…?"

"He's run off, Kurama! I can't breathe right! Why can't I breathe and why do I see him having the same problems over and over in my head? I see him running and it gets harder!" Her tone was getting more frantic as she gasped for air. "What's happening to me?"

"Ayane-chan, calm down!" Sai's voice echoed as he and Rina ran down the hall after her.

Kuwabara had already disappeared from the box, intent on finding Hiei and dragging him back by his ear to show him what he was doing to Ayane; Yusuke followed mere seconds behind while shouting, "Kurama, take care of her! Do something! We'll be back!" over his shoulder.

The red-head frowned and pulled a tiny vial out of his hair. "Lady Ayane, this won't taste very good at all, but it will keep you alive," he whispered, putting the vial to her lips and making her drink all the liquid inside. In a few moments her breathing evened out and she was in a state of unconsciousness. He looked up at her panting friends whose accusing eyes burned him. "She will be fine once Kazuma and Yusuke return," he said softly. "For now, Lady Ayane must rest."

~*~*~Yusuke & Kuwabara~*~*~

"Hiei, you bastard! Get your ass back to Ayane!" Yusuke shouted as he neared the small demon's ki. "You're killing the both of you and she doesn't even know how!"

"That's because…she's a moron…" Hiei stated coldly, coughing up blood. He sat at the base of a tree, in too much pain to go any further. The pain he felt now was different from any pain he had felt before – this tore him apart from the inside out and rendered him unable to even move. Every muscle in his body felt useless and refused to respond to his commands.

"Yeah, like you're much better. If she dies, you die. Is that really how you want this to play out? Is that honorable enough for you?"

"Urameshi, we should get him back or Ayane-chan won't make it through," Kuwabara spoke up, refusing to look at Hiei.

The two lifted the small, internally injured, fire demon off the ground and sped through the forest to get him back to where Kurama had Ayane. The entire way through, they spat insults out at him and threatened him while they had the chance. They could sense his strength slowly return the closer they got but could tell it would take a lot more for him get to one hundred percent again.

"Yusuke! Kazuma! You found him!" Kurama looked very pleased as the three entered the unoccupied room Sai and Rina had found for them to rest in.

"You selfish jerk," Rina growled as they dropped Hiei in the bed next to Ayane. "She was so sure you would never hurt her… You're lucky she made me promise not to kill you." A nudge from Kurama made her back up so that the same medicine given to Ayane could be given to Hiei as well. "I hope it tastes terrible."

"We'll wake you in a few hours, Hiei," Kurama said quietly, his tone disapproving. "If you wake before then, I do not want you to leave this bed."

Hiei could barely see; what had the kitsune given him? His vision was blurred and even his hearing was more than a little messed up. When he tried to open his mouth to make retorts, he found he was unable to even manage the slightest jaw movement. His eyes fell over to where Ayane lay, white as a sheet and very slowly regaining colour. His last thought before sleep took him was that maybe he should let the cat demon kill him.

_After all…she deserves better…_

* * *

Ayane: Okay, that was short, I know, but there was only so much I could put in that chapter and keep secrets from all of you! Don't kill me…?

Hiei: You're making me seem weak, Moron. (glares)

Ayane: That's what love does to ya! (giggles nervously as he reaches for his katana)

Yusuke: Yo! I'd rather threaten you to review but Ayane-chan has told me to ask nicely. (rolls eyes) _Please_ review the story and remember to check out her profile for constant updates.

Ayane: Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Yusuke: Shouldn't you be in the kitchen making dinner?

Ayane: Well since last chapter was so short… Hey! Yusuke, I'm gonna kill you! You know I hate sexist jokes!

(Yusuke has disappeared, leaving only echoes of laughter)

Ayane: He's so dead…

Kuwabara: Ayane-chan doesn't own YYH or songs but she owns her OCs and poems.

Ayane: Where's Kurama been…? Anyway, sorry for this being so late. Been swamped with work and our foundation.

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 9

_"Okaa-sama, how did you meet Otou-sama?" a young Ayane asked as a beautiful woman with long brown hair sat behind her, combing her daughter's raven-coloured hair. The woman had pale skin and hazel eyes just like her daughter; her eyes sparkled as she laughed._

_"Well, dearest one," she started, her voice gentle as a summer breeze, "your otou-sama actually found me. During one of those important meeting we go to in the Reikai, I decided that I would play hooky." The glimmer in her eyes took on a mischievous glint as she looked at the two reflections in the mirror they were facing. "Enma-sama was less than thrilled when I, of all the required guests, failed to show. Instead of sending one of his many servants, he chose to send your father to search for me."_

_Ayane stared in childish wonder at her mother's reflection, always a fan of her mother's stories – she was never sure what would happen next but it was always a great way to end the day and prepare for bed._

_"I was sitting in my garden a few miles away from my castle and had told my servants if anyone asked that I had went out and to keep quiet as to where I had gone. Well, they did as I asked of them but, somehow, your father found my cloaked, secret space. I asked him how he had found me and he got this dumbfounded look on his face…"_

_"Don't tell the girl lies, Celestine," a tall man with golden eyes, tanned skin, and black hair like Ayane's chuckled, walking into the bedroom. He swooped his daughter up in his arms and ruffled her hair a bit as the girl squealed "otou-sama!" in delight._

_Celestine smiled. "Beken, my love, I wasn't finished combing her hair…nor was I quite finished telling my story."_

_"Of course, of course." Beken winked at his daughter and placed her back down on her mother's lap. "Let me finish the story while you finish combing, though, my darling." He kissed his wife's cheek and pulled a chair up in front of the two, sitting down. "Now, I fail to remember having a dumbfounded look…I would say I was more confused. The reason for this, you see, was because I never even went to her castle: there was no need. Once I got near, I was pulled in her direction, not knowing that was the reason why at first. When I came to the garden and saw her sitting there, I knew that it was finally my turn to meet my destined mate and I was more than happy to spend the rest of my time with this beautiful creature." He grinned at the giggle he received from his wife._

_"He asked me why I wasn't at the meeting and I told him meetings bored me. Instead of asking me more about it, he asked me to move in with him."_

_"And you threatened my life," Beken laughed._

_"Oh, hush," Celestine scolded, her amused smile still present on her face._

_"But after we talked for a while and I brought her here for a few weeks, your beautiful mother finally gave in."_

_Ayane piped up, "And then you had me!"_

_"And that, dearest one, was the best day of our lives," the brunette murmured as they settled their daughter under her blankets. The pair reached the doorway before the little voice stopped them:_

_"Will I ever find my destined mate and live as happy as you?"_

_Her parents smiled at her. "We'll make sure of it," Beken said. "Now go to sleep, Ayane; you'll need your rest for tomorrow's training…"_

~*~*~Present~*~*~

Ayane awoke, tears in her eyes, and laid staring at the ceiling. She sensed Hiei's presence in the bed next to her but chose to not look over, still confused about what exactly happened. It was a mystery to her why she saw him running away in her mind as it got harder to breathe.

"Moron…" he muttered, softer than usual.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye then looked back up at the ceiling. "Good morning, Sunshine." A gasp left her lips the next instant as he stood next to her, looking down at her almost curiously. "Can I help you?" She cursed herself for sounding breathless.

"Do you really not know, Girl?" he asked, studying her face.

"What…?"

The spiky-haired demon shook his head slightly. "Foolish."

"Hiei-dono, what are you talking about?" She was sitting up now, staring at him.

He shook his head again and chuckled a little. "We fit." He watched her blink slowly, showing her confusion. "Moron," he said again before grabbing her and putting his arms around her. Running away from it all seemed so stupid of him now... Why had he even bothered trying to end both their lives when he could have this?

"Hiei-dono…you…" She felt tears prick her eyes again and she pushed herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around him in return. _He's right…_ she thought. _We really do fit..just like my mother and father…_ She smiled faintly as the realization washed over her. _A part of me must have known all along…_

"Lady Ayane? Hiei? We're coming in," Kurama's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Why warn them, Kurama?" Yusuke muttered as the key entered the lock.

Ayane sat back on her bed, locking eyes with Hiei – who had flitted across the room – for a brief moment and she offered him a smile which she turned on Kurama as he entered. "Well hello there! I feel refreshed and ready to start the day!"

Yusuke held back a chuckle at her less-than-serious response and chose to clear his throat instead. "Koenma's waiting for you two in the hall. You ready for us to send him in?"

"Oh, right. Our mission… You still coming along, Hiei-dono?" she asked gently, looking over at the fire demon…her mate-to-be; she hoped she was not blushing.

"Hn." Hiei nodded slightly and smirked at her to let her know her blush was definitely there. "We're ready."

Kurama, always the perceptive one, smiled broadly at the pair. "Then we'll send him in. If I may have a moment alone with Lady Ayane first, though…" he trailed off, more than a bit amused at the suspicious glare coming from Hiei. "I won't take her away too long." The red-head took Ayane by the elbow and led her across the hallway, past Koenma, to the empty room opposite the one they were just in. "So you two worked it out, I assume?"

"He brought it to my attention, yes. …Kur-kun, why did he run?" This question still hurt and she was unsure as to whether or not she really wanted an answer.

He hesitated then put a hand gently on top of her head. "That's something he'll have to tell you on his own one day…but he seems to be regretting it now." He smiled faintly, thinking of Hiei's smirk in her direction. It still surprised him that his angry little friend had found his mate before him, but he was quite pleased; after all Hiei had been through, he deserved some bit of happiness and he seemed happier with Ayane around.

"Shouldn't I get back to the room now…?" she asked after a few silent moments.

"Of course, Lady Ayane." He led her back across the hall but paused when they heard her godfather shouting at Hiei. "I feel it would be best if you took care of that…" he murmured as he walked away, not one for confrontation.

Ayane smiled then entered the room, immediately turning to glare at Koenma. "What're you yelling at him for? I'm still alive, aren't I? I doubt he plans on doing that anymore anyway, right, Hiei-dono?"

"Hn. Moron…"

Koenma still looked furious but nodded. "Your parents would never forgive me if I let something happen to you, Ayane… Onto the mission then, I suppose." He did not even try to hide his grin as he started, "You two will be going to the Ningenkai and attending a college in Japan. There have been rumours of a demon attempting to find humans with high spiritual power and take them to the Makai with him to do his bidding. If they resist…they die. There have been several mysterious human disappearances on the campus lately, so you two will have to figure that out. In the folders, you'll find a much more detailed description." He handed Ayane both folders, avoiding the spiky-haired demon as much as he could; he knew Hiei despised missions like this.

"Ooo, I get to wear cute human-girl clothes…" she murmured as she flipped through her folder after tossing the spare to Hiei. "Do you really not know what this demon looks like or what his name is, Koenma? That's bad research, y'know. Oh, we'll need food and normal human clothing for our trip. I think 80,000¥ a month should do us just fine – don't argue with me. I know for a fact you can manage that at the very least."

The silent crimson-eyed demon stared at her as she rambled on and on about the demon they were supposed to be finding and the yen they would need for their trip. After a while he just shook his head and looked out the window; staring at her was not going to make this any less real, anyway. He was forced to join the Reiki Tantei again and he was stuck being with her for the rest of eternity. Why did the latter not disgust him as much as the former did with her being what she was? He frowned and let out a small sigh.

"What's the matter, Hiei-dono?"

A quick glance around let Hiei know they were the only two in the room. He ignored his urges and just shook his head. "Don't worry about me, Moron."

"Who said I was worried…?" she asked, a teasing smile playing at the corners of her lips. "You just seemed a bit distracted, Hiei-dono. You need to get your mind on the mission." She poked at his folder, letting him know he should open it before she began.

He stared curiously at her as she read through the description of the mission and how the rescue and such should be implemented. He wondered how someone like her could have been made for someone like him. After a few moments, he shook his head and glared out the window. Even if they were both Forbidden Children, she should have ended up with someone like the kitsune, not someone like him.

"Are you paying attention at all?" she grumbled, a small pout forming; there went those urges again…

"Moron."

"Stop being a jerk."

"Hn." He stared at her as she lowered her eyes and he wondered why she seemed so upset at the moment; she had been fine only seconds before.

"Hiei-dono…" She gnawed on her lower lip before bringing her eyes up to meet his. "Why?"

That single word caused an uncomfortable silence between the two of them. The silent question behind the word only made the silence more unbearable and made him remember how stupid he had been.

"Girl…" he started, though he was unsure of how to finish his sentence.

"Never mind." She figured at this point that it was better for her to just keep quiet and let it go; Kurama was right. She'd let him tell her in his own time. "Anyway, I should probably go pack my clothes and stuff; I figure we'll be gone for a while."

He paused and stared at her for a moment before standing to go. He brushed past her but did not look in her direction. In the doorway, he paused and smirked to himself. "Let's hope you're at least as good at this job as your cousin was…Detective."

"Jerk," she giggled, blushing. As she studied his back, realization slowly dawned on her.

He knew.

How much did he know, though? If he knew Yusuke was her cousin then he had to know quite a bit… After all, her father had only ever taken one mate. She shook her head side-to-side in disbelief; she was supposed to tell him.

But when did he figure it out?

She glanced away for a second and when she looked back he was gone; she wondered if he would bother showing up tomorrow to leave for the mission. Groaning in frustration, she left the room and searched for Kurama – he would know what to do or say.

~*~*~Hiei~*~*~

"You know she'll be heading this way then, right?" Kurama asked, a frown forming on his face. "If you just left her there without saying anything more about it then she'll come to me to talk to."

Hiei scowled. "Why?"

The red head blinked, taken aback by the jealousy he heard in his friend's voice. "I'm her friend, Hiei, just like I'm yours. Both of you come to talk to me when something's bothering you so it's natural for her to come here. Also, I talk more than anyone else does about the actual problem at hand…and you just don't talk at all."

"Hn."

"Hiei…"

"She's on her way." He disappeared from the window sill he had been sitting on but the red head could tell his friend was still somewhere in the room – this was getting ridiculous.

"Kurama-kun? Kur-kun, I need your help!" Ayane called out as she knocked on the door.

**_Don't answer it, Kit_**, Hiei warned.

Kurama sighed and walked to the kitchen, starting tea. He was shocked when he heard a key enter his lock and reached into his pocket to find his key. A laugh left his throat when he found the gold key missing and he waited for Ayane to meet him in the kitchen.

"Kur-kun, I need help."

"Oh? You seem to have things under control…" He held his hand out and smiled when she returned his key. "What's wrong now, Ayane-chan?"

"Hiei-dono… He knows, Kur-kun. How did he figure it out?" She paused a moment and frowned. "Kur-kun…is that why he ran? Was he trying to kill me?" Her voice choked slightly and she glared at the ground to force back her emotions.

Kurama, noticing Hiei's silence, shook his head. "Lady Ayane, let's have some tea and talk."

The dark-haired girl looked up at him, surprised that he was offering to talk to her about it; he was always the one to say "they'll talk about it in their own time". Who was she to make a fuss about it, though? She was getting her answers. "All right, Kur-kun." She went through the kitchen, gathering cups, teabags, and coasters and brought them to the table in the living room.

**_She acts like she comes here often, Kit_**, Hiei growled.

**_You act like you're easy to figure out, Hiei_**, Kurama retorted, rolling his eyes. The pot started screeching for attention and Kurama took it off and brought it to the living room. After setting the pot down, the red-head sat across from Ayane.

"How do you know that he knows?" he started, pouring hot water over the tea bags in their cups.

"He mentioned Yusuke being my cousin." She frowned. "I was supposed to tell him what I was. I was supposed to tell him what I knew…"

Kurama took a sip of his tea. "How much _do_ you know, Lady Ayane?"

"Hm?"

"What do you know about him?" He ignored Hiei's mental warnings.

She frowned and traced the flowers on her cup with her fingertips. "He was born by the union of an ice apparition and a fire demon – he's a Forbidden Child. He was tossed from the Ice Kingdom at birth and found by a band of thieves that took him in. He soon scared even them and left. Soon after that he found his mother's friend who had thrown him and found out he had a sister and he spared the woman's life. He had his Jagan implanted to find his sister then met you through some dead end leads, joined you and that miserable soul-sucker Gouki, met Yusuke-san, and so-on. The rest all became public knowledge." She was quieter as she finished, blushing slightly. "I told you…stories spread fast. It's not hard for me to pick out what's true."

"And you still care for him?"

"That's a silly question, Kur-kun… Even if we weren't destined mates…I'd still want to be near him, if only for a little while." She had a faint smile on her face as she brought her cup to her lips. "I love him, Kur-kun."

He grinned; his mind was finally silent as Hiei was lost in thought. That was what his friend needed to hear, even if he did not quite understand. Of the gang, Hiei was the only one who had never actually loved or been loved, not counting Mukuro's obsession with him. "Even after meeting him?"

"He's rude, arrogant, doesn't talk much except to make sarcastic comments…but I wouldn't have him any other way. He's perfect. I wouldn't change him."

"Lady Ayane, you are the kindest soul I know."

She giggled and blushed. "Doubtful."

**_Leaving so soon, Hiei?_** Kurama asked, watching his friend head for the door behind Ayane.

**_Kit, keep your voicebox silent – it's in your best interest._**

**_You should wait a bit longer. I'm getting to the best part._** Kurama's voice was cruel and very unlike him. Hurting someone who loved him this much… It was unforgivable.

**_Don't you dare…_** Hiei growled.

"Lady Ayane, Hiei ran when he found out. We were around for the war and Hiei lost some comrades. He blames your mother's side."

She lowered her gaze to the ground. "So he wanted me to die…"

Kurama put a hand on her arm gently. "He didn't want it to be true. But now he may have changed his mind." He met Hiei's glare and matched it. "He'd better hope he has, at least."

* * *

Ayane: Kur-kun's angwy…

Kurama: Me? Angry?

Ayane: Kur-kun! Where've you been?

Kurama: I took a vacation. It's good to be back. (smiles)

Ayane: Longest chapter yet... oh! More A/N after this, please review the story and read the additional A/N!

* * *

So, guys, need your help! I'll post a poll on my prof page for it, but I have this story idea that involves the Spirit Realm and such. Question is - which anime should I go with? It'll be a romance story between a cannon character and an OC of mine, but I need to know...Uryu Ishida from _Bleach_ or Kurama from _Yu Yu Hakusho_? So far, two people have said _YYH_, but I'm still not sure since I have a YYH story going on now... (sighs) If it is YYH, though, it will end up tying into this story as well and I already have that bit planned out. Votes would be great! (grins)


	10. Chapter 10

Ayane: Sorry! Been swamped with work! In fact, work is where I am right now!

Hiei: Moron. You should relax on your lunch break…

Ayane: I can't! (frowns) I have stuff that needs done!

Kurama: Oh, Lady Ayane… (sighs)

Yusuke: Aya doesn't own YYH or songs. She owns her OC and poems.

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 10

The very next morning the two left for the Ningenkai with Ayane quieter than usual, lost in her own thoughts.

"Kick their butts, Ayane!" Yusuke cheered as they stood in front of the portal.

She glanced up at him then frowned. _If I don't make it back…he'll never know…_ She wrapped her arms tight around his middle, to everyone's surprise. "Good-bye…Yusuke."

"Hey now, who said anything about good-byes? The runt will get you home safely!" Kuwabara interjected, laughing nervously.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" Kurama asked, concern coating his expression.

She backed away from Yusuke and bowed to Kurama. "You've helped me so much already, Kur-kun. We'll be just fine. See you all in a couple weeks!" She smiled and bounced over to the portal, grabbing her bag as she went through.

"Don't hurt her, Hiei," Yusuke warned.

"Morons," Hiei muttered before disappearing into the portal. He stared in confusion as she grabbed him by the hand and yanked him out of the alley and onto the sidewalk.

"What do you wanna do first?" she asked, grinning.

He glanced back into the dark, empty alley and shook his head. "Hn."

"Hiei-dono…? Are you upset with me still…?" she whispered, her hand slipping away from his.

Hiei looked back at her and briefly stroked her arm. "Girl, don't be foolish."

She smiled and held her bag with both hands, heading to the street where the room they would be living in was. It was simple and old fashioned. An elderly woman greeted them at the door of the building she had turned into apartments.

"Ah! You must be the young couple that's moving in! Your uncle said I would be able to recognize your husband, young one. Very different hairstyle, he said."

Ayane's face was red and she shook her head. "Y-you misunderstood…"

"Hn. Where is our room?" Hiei muttered, putting his hand on the small of Ayane's back. He enjoyed watching her get nervous and start blushing…especially when he was able to assist. He smirked and followed the old woman, leading his destined mate along.

"You should find everything you need here and, may I say, you two make a very cute pair!" the old woman smiled kindly then left the two standing in the dining room.

"I'm so sorry that Koenma's such a jerk," Ayane immediately started blabbering. "I knew he was making stuff up to get us in here but I never expected that was what he said. Maybe we'd be siblings, but I can't believe he—" Hiei's chuckling made her stop rambling. "What?"

He smirked at her. "She knows you belong to me so the entire house must know. We start the school tomorrow. They should all learn this as well."

"H-Hiei-dono…" Her eyes were wide and she searched for something to talk about. "U-uhm… How about we go grocery shopping? Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! Let's do that!" She dropped her bag on the floor and reached in her pocket to make sure she still had yen in there. "C'mon!"

He walked next to her, drowning out her random babbling as she tried to make herself less nervous. After all that fussing, he now never wanted to leave her side. He wracked his brain for some hint as to why his feelings toward the situation changed but, no matter how he tried, he could come up with no answer. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye then shook his head. Maybe it was best he never figured it out…

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" she teased, poking his shoulder. "Whaddya want for dinner? I've been taking cooking lessons from Kur-kun so I've gotten really good!" His scowl shut her up quickly and she averted her eyes. "…I wanted to learn for you… I have to be a good mate, don't I?..." she whispered.

"Foolish girl," he muttered, realizing he was being ridiculous. If anything had happened, after all, he would know. "Hn. What can you make?"

"I can make curry! Or I can roll sushi!" Her eyes were bright as she went through the list of things she could make him. When she noticed he was paying very little attention, she sighed. "Or we could go clothes shopping. I could use some new clothes anyway."

"Hn."

She pouted. "You could show a little bit of enthusiasm, y'know." A brightly coloured shop caught her eye. "Oh, wow… Hiei-dono, look at those! Aren't they pretty?" She was taking in the lacy Lolita dresses displayed in the windows and had unconsciously grabbed him by the hand, taking him over to the shop with her. "Let's go in!" Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and dragged him through the aisles of outfits with her; he was doing his best to ignore them as he knew thinking about them would get him into severe trouble.

"May I help you?" a quiet girl of about 16 asked the two.

Ayane realized at that point she was holding onto Hiei and went to release him only to smile when he refused to let go. "I think we're okay. Thank you very much, though, uhm…" – she glanced at the girl's nametag – "Hanabi-chan."

"All right. Thank you for coming." Hanabi turned away and walked back to the cash register.

"…Poor thing…" Ayane whispered, her hand going limp in Hiei's. She shook her head at his questioning look. "We have something to do before we get rid of this demon, Hiei-dono. It's a bit of a…personal mission."

"Girl, we don't have the time."

"We'll make time," she responded fiercely. "Come on. We'll get take-out. I need to talk to Koenma."

**()()()**

"What do you mean I don't have a choice in the matter? Koenma, this girl is going to try her damndest to do this! I have to help!"

Hiei sat on the couch watching her pace as she shouted at her godfather in the compact-phone. After all of her ranting, he was still unsure as to what was going on. He sipped at his tea, leaving a half-eaten egg roll sitting on his plate; he had already eaten most of the food at her insistence. He sighed to himself when he saw the untouched food on her plate.

"What do you mean by that? It's personal, Koenma!"

_"I can't let you do whatever you want, Ayane! You could get hurt!"_

"Dammit, Koenma! She's going to kill herself!"

Both lines went completely silent as Koenma attempted to process what she just said and Ayane attempted to compose herself. Hiei stood and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder; she glanced at him, eyes moist and breathing haggard.

_"Ayane…how do you know this?"_

She looked back at the screen. "Koenma…I was there more than once." Her voice was dark. "Just trust me on this…? She had this look in her eyes. She's after more than just an end, though. There's something else… Could you please just research her for me? Her first name is Hanabi and she works at a small Lolita shop down the street from us."

_"Of course, Ayane… Take care."_

The compact-phone snapped shut and Ayane sighed, eyes on the floor. "He's such a jerk sometimes…"

"Eat, Girl," Hiei muttered.

"Hm? Oh, right…" She frowned at the plate of food. "I'm not that hungry, actually."

Hiei growled at her. "Don't be stupid. Eat. Now."

She spun around and glared at him. "Don't you _dare_ tell me what to do! You have no right!"

"Moron! I'm here to take care of you!" he snapped, towering above her. "I have every right! You're my mate!"

"Not yet!" she hissed, instantly regretting it when she saw his eyes go cold. She bit back an apology, knowing it would do no good. "It's been a long day. I'm tired." She walked around him, collecting the food into containers. When she stood and turned to make her way to the kitchen, she met Hiei's chest instead.

"Let's fix that," he said, his tone blank.

She frowned and put the containers back on the dining table; her arms darted around his neck as she launched herself at him. "It's hard for me to be like you," she started. "I went the opposite way you did, Hiei-dono. I knew I was loved before I was alone. It hurt me a lot when my parents… I couldn't just push it all away. After that… Well, that's a story for another time, I suppose." She smiled faintly when she felt his arms wind around her waist. "None of that matters now, though… Anyway, I'm sorry for being so mean. I…I want to be your mate, honest." She giggled when he kissed her ear. "Just wait a little longer."

"You make it difficult," he muttered.

"You do, too. Now let me put this food away. Get ready for bed – I'll be there soon." Her arms fell away from him and she tugged at his arms, smiling. "Let go," she giggled. A squeak left her lips when he lifted her bridal-style and smirked down at her. "I didn't say pick me up!"

He took her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed, chuckling at the blush coating her cheeks. "I'll take the couch, Detective."

"What? N-no… Stay here with me…" she mumbled, her blush deepening. "And…don't call me what you called Yusuke. It's weird." She wrinkled up her nose.

He smirked and turned away from her, moving to clean up the mess that was left behind. He paused in the living room after it was cleaned and opened up his own compact phone, dialing Kurama.

_"What's going on now, Hiei?"_ the redhead muttered, still obviously frustrated with his friend. His tone changed when he noticed the lost expression on Hiei's face. _"What's wrong? Is Lady Ayane all right?"_

"Of course she is," the spiky haired fire demon snapped. After a pause, he continued, "I don't know if she's okay, Kit. She said something about wanting to end her own life multiple times in the past. Has she spoken to you about this? You are the only one I can imagine she would have said something to…"

Kurama frowned. _"Did she…say why? Hiei, she's never mentioned any of that to me before. Do you want me to talk to her?"_

"No, she failed to say why. If you don't know then you're useless to me."

_"Wait, Hiei,"_ Kurama pleaded as his friend went to close the compact phone. _"You have to handle this delicately and that's not your strong suit."_

"She's _my_ mate, Kit. I'll deal with it." He shut the phone with his newfound resolve and returned silently to the bedroom. His eyes fell on Ayane, sleeping peacefully on half of the bed, turned towards the other half as if waiting for him to return. _Why?_ he wondered as he approached the bed, removing his cloak and boots. As an afterthought, he removed his pants and shirt so he was left in a set of boxers she had made him pack before they left for the Human World. He laid under the sheets as close to her as he could get without touching.

"Hiei-dono…I love you…"

He looked over at her, surprised by her quiet but audible confession, only to notice she was still sound asleep. He smiled inwardly and turned on his side, propping his head up and watching her breathe slowly. A sigh escaped him and he moved back onto his back, staring at the ceiling until he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**()()()**

Her hair surrounded him; he felt as though he would smother in her scent and he was all right with that. He reached for her, pulling her close unconsciously.

"Morning, Hiei-dono," she murmured, smiling up at him.

He blinked at her for a moment before letting her go and rolling over onto his back. "The sun hasn't come up yet. Go back to sleep, Girl."

"We have to get ready for school, remember?" she taunted, sitting up and stretching.

His eyes followed her as she walked around the room, collecting her clothing for the day. His mind seemed to stop working on him when she spun around and grinned at him.

"Hey, you should start getting ready, too. You're going to school with me, remember?"

"…Hn."

She smiled sweetly and pranced into the bathroom, not even daring to think he would follow her in. She stripped down and her smile turned light and giddy as she thought back to waking and seeing him lying next to her, arms wrapped around her. Her teeth clamped around her lower lip and she hopped in the shower, savoring the memory. She held her breath, trying to keep her mind and her voice quiet. With one big _whoosh_ of air, she regained her self-control and focused on getting ready for classes and being nervous for a whole new reason. Despite how long she lived, there was never a moment where she had ever even thought about going to a human school.

"Gah…" she sighed.

**()()()**

He paused at the door to the bathroom, resting his forehead against it as he listened to the sound of his future mate hum to herself over the sound of the running water. It bothered him for a while that he was unable to creep into her mind to figure out what was going on with her. "You foolish girl…"

* * *

(Ayane is hiding)

Kurama: She'll work harder next time! (frowns)


	11. Chapter 11

Ayane: Ahhh! (stretches) Work again.

Kurama: Hm…

Ayane: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I almost dozed off getting the kids to sleep before break but I'm okay now!

Hiei: Hn? "Almost"?

Ayane: Well… (sweatdrops)

Yusuke: Aya-nee-chan doesn't own YYH or songs but owns her OCs and poems!

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I'm gonna start thanking reviewers again! **Wolvesrain17** – thanks, but I have a duty as an authoress! (smiles softly) Plus, writing helps me alleviate stress… **Kirstykakes** – (cries) thank you SO MUCH for your kind review, even if I know there are parts where the characters are OOC! Readers like you keep me going!

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 11

Another giggle left her lips. She knew what they were doing was not a good idea and she would most likely get them both in trouble, but she just could not stop herself. After all, note passing is not a crime. How much trouble could they possibly get in?

She smiled when another nearly inaudible sigh was heard behind her. Okay, so it was more like she was passing him notes and gauging his reactions since he refused to write back, but she was keeping herself entertained. Three classes were finished already; her activity seemed to speed up time.

"Girl, that's enough," he growled quietly behind her, fighting back a smirk at the doodles she had done of them on a sheet of paper. It still confounded him how romantic females were.

A smile crept across her face and she leaned back slightly as the bell for lunch went off. "Hiei-dono, what do you wanna do for lunch?"

He shook his head. "Being here is pointless. Let's find this demon and go."

"Awh, but Hiei-dono…don't you like my uniform?" she pouted, looking at him over her shoulder.

Oh, the things he could have said to make that girl blush. If he had been a lesser person, he would not hold back. Instead, he chuckled and turned to stare out the window. "You are incredibly foolish," he muttered. Silence greeted him and he looked over at her, alarmed when he saw her look of concentration. "Did you sense it?"

"Sort of… He's trying to get a feel for me."

Hiei perked up at this comment, eyes narrowing. What was this demon doing feeling _his_ mate out? "What does he want?" There was nothing but silence again and he assumed she was asking; he was proven right as her eyes widened.

"_She_ wants to meet me."

**()()()**

There was a bright full moon shining down on the park where they met that night. Ayane had insisted she needed to do this alone – as per the other's request – but Hiei was hidden close by, ready to step in when and if he was needed.

_"Hiei-dono, I can take care of myself. Please just calm down," she sighed as she slid her sword into its holder. "I'm a big girl."_

_He glared at her reflection as she brushed her hair into a ponytail. "I don't like that you're going alone."_

_"I'll be okay." She paused and met his eyes in the mirror, frowning. "I'll come back to you, I promise." She knew she had hit the nail on the head when he averted his eyes and started muttering about going to get herself killed. After a deep breath, she stood and walked over to him, grabbing his face to make him look at her. "I won't die on you. I wouldn't let myself hurt you that way."_

_"Hn. Moron," he grunted, grabbing her wrists to remove her hands from his face. "I came here to protect you – that's my purpose here."_

_She smiled and slid out of his grip. "As much as I appreciate that, Hiei-dono…I could kill you if my heart was in it. You know that."_

_He scoffed like she had told some fantastic joke and disappeared from in front of her to brood on the windowsill._

_"Silly boy," she whispered, a teasing smile alit on her face._

**()()()**

She smiled to herself when she reached out and felt his presence. Though she knew she would be able to handle just about any threat on her own, it was still nice to know he cared about her enough to go against her wishes and follow her. After a pause, her smile faltered and she sighed: him going against her wishes in the future could lead to some serious fights… A blush crossed her cheeks as she thought the word "future" and she decided she had to focus on the matter at hand or she would be far too distracted to meet with this girl.

**()()()**

_The sharp pokes to her spirit energy drowned out Hiei's response – if there had been any – to her uniform comment. She spent a few moments targeting where it was coming from then lashed out at the person._

_"Did you sense it?" Hiei asked, grabbing her attention._

_She paused another second. "Sort of… He's trying to get a feel for me."_

_"What does he want?"_

**_Can I help you? _**_she asked sharply._

**_Oh, you're letting me in now? How sweet of you!_**_ there was a giggle following the feminine voice. **You and me need to meet. Tonight. Midnight. At the park across the street.**_

_Ayane's eyes widened slightly and she answered Hiei's question, "_She_ wants to meet me."_

**()()()**

"Madam Shinata, if I'm not mistaken."

The raven-haired girl looked over her shoulder at the approaching blonde demon. "That was my mother," she stated plainly.

"My apologies. I was unaware you never took over the estate."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "After they both betrayed their heritages?" Her eyes narrowed and she studied the girl carefully. "What is your purpose here?"

"Only to meet you, Ma'am." The blue-eyed girl flashed Ayane a huge smile. "I had to get your attention somehow so I told a few fibs, hid a few girls, and, with your godfather being the Ruler of the Spirit Realm—"

"How do you know that?" Ayane snapped. Her parents had done their best to keep her godfather a little-known secret.

"Oh…you really don't know who I am…" The girl frowned, staring down at her feet. "I was hoping you'd remember me but I guess you blocked all of that stuff out. Only makes sense, really. Heh. I'm such an idiot, eh, Ma'am?"

Ayane paused, dropping her defensive posture. "What's your name? How do you know me?"

"I'm…Kiyomi. I'm the daughter of wind demons Makoto and Rika." She started to pout. "They died helping your parents. They died trying to protect you. We were always on your side. I used to play with you in the garden while my parents did the cooking and cleaning."

"Why did you want to meet me alone?"

"Huh?" Kiyomi's head shot up. "I didn't realize you wanted to bring anyone along. I'm sorry, Ma'am."

Ayane winced. "It's just 'Ayane' and…well…" She paused and decided not to speak when she realized Hiei was not moving any closer. "I have to speak with Koenma. I've…I've blocked a lot out from before my parents' deaths." Her own eyes trailed to the ground for a few moments as she regained her composure then she looked back up at Kiyomi. "We'll see each other at school tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course! I'll see you tomorrow, Ma…Ayane-san!" The chipper blonde scampered off, leaving Ayane and Hiei alone and a good distance away from each other.

"Hiei-dono, what are you thinking…?" she whispered, knowing he could hear her; she felt him behind her in an instant.

"Moron. You're shaking. And crying."

She leaned back against him, smiling softly when she felt him tense. "Think she was being honest? I don't…remember her…"

He looked down at her, studying the top of her head. "Trust is a sign of weakness."

An airy laugh left her lips and she turned her head to look up at him. "I trust you."

"Weak, as I said," he muttered, smirking inwardly when she started giggling at him. "We are returning to the house."

She smiled and pulled away from him. "Oh? I was thinking we could go for a walk." His silence caused her to start walking away, knowing he would follow. When he finally walked up beside her, she reached for his arm and locked hers around it. "So where to then?"

"You wanted to walk," he reminded her, exasperated.

"Let's go find a river!"

They wandered around for a while, neither really searching for anything, just absorbed in silence. An hour and a half had gone by when they stopped, her sitting at the base of a tree and him standing next to her, resting against it.

"Hiei-dono…" she started hesitantly, eyes staring at a distant point in space but not really seeing.

"Hn?" His eyes were shut.

"I'm…I'm ready."

His eyes snapped open and he stared at her in silence for a while, not realizing just how uncomfortable he was making her. "We're going back to the house. Now."

Her mind was spinning and she was unsure as to what was going on. She remembered him lifting her up and racing back to the room with her, despite her protests that she could move her own legs. Once the door was slammed and locked behind them, he rid her of her sword then pinned her to the wall and held her wrists tightly by her sides. His kisses made her dizzy and she moaned as his tongue searched her mouth, exploring. He released her arms after a while then grabbed her legs behind her knees and made her wrap her legs around his waist. When she adjusted slightly, moving up against the wall so she was more comfortable, he growled low in his throat; she had not realized he was already incredibly aroused and she had accidentally rubbed against it.

In an instant, they had moved from the living room to the bedroom and he was on top of her on the bed.

"Ngh… H-Hiei-dono…" she whined as the spiky haired demon trailed rough kisses down her neck. As he teased her sensitive neck, he reached inside her shirt, his equally rough hands stroking her sides and her stomach. An audible gasp left her throat when he reached up and grabbed her breasts. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks as she grabbed at his arms, all of a sudden nervous about what was going on; he quelled her nerves with a fierce, bruising kiss on her mouth. Her grip faltered and she slid her hands up instead, wrapping her arms around his neck and playing with his hair.

A low growl left his throat and he reached underneath her head and grabbed a fistful of her hair, biting down on her lower lip as he did so; she cried into his mouth. He became needy then, bringing both hands back down to pull her shirt off her. Their lips disconnected for only a moment so her shirt could be pulled off and thrown somewhere on the floor. He slid his mouth down her throat and started playing with the exposed parts of her breasts as his hands held her waist, stroking at the small scars he found there.

"Girl…" he groaned, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. He ripped her bra off her and threw the silly, torn contraption blindly over his shoulder. His mouth went to one erect nub while one hand went to her other breast, kneading it.

"Hiei-dono!" she gasped, hands tightening in his hair.

Though he had craved this for weeks, he wanted their first time to be, well, special – at least for her. He failed to come to a conclusion as to _why_ pleasing her was so important to him but he accepted it and merely continued his work, his free hand sliding down to unbutton her pants. He heard her sharp inhale as his hand slid in her pants then and he suppressed a groan and did not look up at the expression on her face, knowing better; if he saw her now he would lose control.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Ignore it," he growled, noticed her body shift; his fingers tugged at her panties, making her whimper.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"…Hiei-dono…we should—"

"No," he snapped. He pushed up to press his lips to hers, grabbing her face between his hands. His clothed erection pressed against her womanhood and she reached up, clawing at his back.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"What is it?" Ayane finally yelled into the compact phone after wiggling out from under Hiei. She frowned when she saw Kurama's wide eyes staring back at her. "Kur-kun… Heh, I'm sorry about that."

_"Are you…busy, Lady Ayane?"_ the red head asked slowly, noticing her disheveled hair; he could not help but stifle laughter.

"Yes, she is," Hiei grumbled, sitting at the edge of the bed.

_"Terribly sorry, but Koenma needs to know if you've made any progress."_

The hazel-eyed girl nodded, sitting up – she was all business now.

_"L-Lady Ayane…"_ Kurama stuttered, averting his eyes.

"Moron," Hiei muttered, wrapping his cloak around her. "Don't show off what's mine," he said too quietly for Kurama to hear.

"Oops! S-sorry, Kur-kun!" Her face was beet red and she clutched the cloak shut with one hand. "So, anyway… There have been kidnappings but all the girls are still here. The demon spreading these ridiculous rumours was aiming for my attention. Her name is Kiyomi… I need Koenma to look this girl up. She says she worked for my family with her parents… I don't know, Kur-kun. I would think I'd remember someone I used to play and spend time with…"

_"Hm. Well, this is quite unexpected…"_ He glanced to his right and relayed what Ayane had just told him. There were footsteps followed by swirls of light as the compact phone was ripped from Kurama's hands; Koenma's enraged face stared at them.

_"Makoto's daughter?"_ he seethed. _"That traitor…he's the one who pushed for the separation or death of your parents! His mate was no better. Gods only know what their spawn has become!"_ There was an awkward pause where Koenma noticed how frumpled Ayane looked on the other end of the connection. _"…You're too young. Your parents would kill me if they knew I let you two stay in the same room!"_ He flew off on another tangent then, tossing the phone over his shoulder as he raged through the building.

"Think he's mad at me," she murmured as Kurama righted the phone. A whimper almost left her lips when she felt Hiei's hand slide across her thigh and settle right next to her still-sensitive womanhood. Instead, she lowered her voice and gripped the phone tighter. "I don't know what Koenma's going on about, Kur-kun, but do ya think you can get him to call me back when he's finally cooled off?"

_"Of course, Lady Ayane."_ He smiled knowingly. _"Could I perhaps speak with Hiei alone for a moment?"_

"What? Uhm, sure?" Her soft hands met his rough ones and she pulled away, excusing herself to the living room…the kitchen…anywhere at all. She stood in the center of the living room, her arms wrapped around her own waist as she finally let herself burn up. They were so close just moments before… Sighing, she tugged the cloak tighter around herself and laid on the couch, warm and cozy in his scent.

**()()()**

_"Be careful with her, Hiei, that's all I'm asking,"_ the red head, exhausted with his friend mere moments after Ayane left the room, practically begged Hiei.

"Why do you care so much?" the spiky haired man snapped, an angry expression making its way across his face. "She's my mate. I'll do what I want to."

Kurama's eyes narrowed – the smaller demon sure could act like a child sometimes. _"Lady Ayane is a person, Hiei. Remember that. She feels more than you or I do, even. She can certainly make an impression. I'm warning you for your own sake, Hiei. She has people who care about her that will—"_

"_I_ care about her," Hiei finally muttered, staring at a wall from the corners of his eyes.

There was a long silence between the two and neither broke it until Hiei looked into the compact phone again.

"As I said, Fox… She's my mate."

**()()()**

"…Hn. Moron…" Almost half an hour passed before Kurama and he finished their talk. It was at this time when he noticed she was nowhere around the room at all, not even to listen in. He found her lying on the couch, clutching his cloak to her naked top half as she slept. No one would ever know how he enjoyed watching her sleep; the pain she usually showed in her eyes was not there when she slept. For a few hours each night, his mate-to-be was completely peaceful.

And he loved that.

He lifter her bridal-style in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom, laying her down on the sheets below before covering her up. Somehow he knew she would be irritated in the morning for not having put on night clothes, but he forgot to care.

Hell, it was cute when she got angry, too.

He smirked to himself as he laid next to her, turned towards her, watching her breath soft as he himself fell asleep.

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Ayane: Chyeah!

(Hiei twitches)

Ayane: She makes you feel…so emotional! You can't let go, you're so emotional!

Hiei: Run.

(Ayane doesn't need to be told twice)

Yusuke: After some research – dunno why she did it – Ayane found out "Never Before, Never Again" was a song title for a Muppets song… Gah. This is more your speed, Kurama…

Kurama: Right. (clears throat) This discovery caused Ayane to strengthen her resolve on changing the title of this story…until she read the lyrics. She found it to be a beautiful song about, coincidentally, soulmates and love.

Yusuke: So mushy…

Kurama: Hope you enjoyed! More A/N after this!

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**A/N:** Gonna write _Bleach_ HitsuOC fanfiction. :D Poll on my homepage! Check it out!


	12. Chapter 12

Ayane: Oh, hello there, Muse. I've missed you something awful. Please make me feel like you're lasting longer this time around?

Hiei: I don't know you.

Ayane: I own OCs and poems! No music, no YYH…yet… (grins)

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 12

He woke to her attempt at a quiet escape from the bed. He smirked and watched her.

"Oh! You're awake!" She blushed and looked off to the side. "I'm sorry about last night, Hiei-dono…" When he said nothing, she rambled on, "I didn't try to upset you. I really did want to… I'm so angry at myself for answering the phone." Silence reigned and she bit her lip. "I'm, uh, gonna go shower now…"

He was in front of her in a moment, turning her head to look at him. His lips met hers for a few seconds before he let her go. "Foolish to think I would blame you," he muttered.

"H-Hiei-dono…" She smiled, blush still prominent. "Thank you, Hiei-dono." She stood on tiptoe to kiss him again and sighed contentedly when his arms wound their way slowly around her. After a while, she pulled away and smiled broadly. "We have class soon. Let's get showers." She noticed his smirk and grumbled, "Separately."

She stalked off, leaving him behind. It was her duty to figure out what Kiyomi had in mind if Koenma did not figure it out first. Today would prove to be a long day.

"Girl, call for you. It's Koenma."

"I'll call him back!" she grumbled, turning on the water. The door clicked open and she frowned over her shoulder at him. "Hiei-dono, I told you I'd call him back."

_"This is important, Ayane!"_ Koenma's voice came through the compact phone. _"I have news about Kiyomi and her history."_

"And I'm mostly naked!" she snapped.

"Girl…" Hiei started.

"Out! It can wait fifteen minutes!"

_"It can't. Kiyomi's parents don't seem to be the culprits behind selling your parents out, but they did die trying to save them. They were…loyal, as hard as admitting that is for me."_

Ayane shook her head. "But there's something wrong with her…"

"Fool, her parents died to save _you_." Hiei glowered. "She doesn't want you to live."

She blushed. "I'm not a fool… I got that, really." She stuck her tongue out at Hiei then grumbled. "So why couldn't this wait fifteen minutes, Koenma?"

_"Ayane…when was the last time you actually took fifteen minutes in the bathroom?"_ the ruler asked, voice thick with sarcasm.

Ayane sweatdropped and pouted. "That's not fair." She saw Hiei smirk and glared at him. "And it's not funny! Look, I'll handle it, Koenma." She grabbed the phone from Hiei and shut it. "As for you, get out of the bathroom."

"I shouldn't leave you alone."

There was a long pause before Ayane broke into a grin. "Hiei-dono, you shouldn't worry about me. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"Hn. I never said I was worried, Moron."

"Then stop finding excuses to follow me around."

"It's not an excuse!"

"Just tell me why you _really_ want to stay in here," she teased, turning away from him and sliding his cloak off her shoulders. She glanced back at him and smiled innocently at his look of restraint. "Something wrong, Hiei-dono?"

He glared then shut his eyes. "You are taunting."

"Yes, yes I am." She tip-toed up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you very much, Hiei-dono," she whispered. "I'm glad I found you."

"…Ayane…" he mumbled, much to her surprise. He smirked into her hair. "It could be argued that you are, in fact, crueler than I am."

She looked up at him, shocked. "No way! Who said that?"

"I did." He pressed his lips to hers and tangled his fingers in her hair. "It would be in your best interest if you hurried into your shower now," he said quietly, trying to hide the tone that could only be described as husky.

"All right, Hiei-dono." She smiled up at him. "Get going then. I don't need you in here. I can take care of the big bad shower all by myself." A giggle left her lips when he rolled his eyes. "If you really must stay, please don't look. It makes me…nervous," she decided, knowing it was not quite the word she was looking for. A dark blush filled her face when he smirked knowingly at her. "Ya know what? Just get out! Pervert!"

**_I'll be good, Moron_**, he muttered, kissing her again.

"Ugh! You're such a pain!" Despite this, she smiled. "You'd better be. We have very important things to do at school today. We can't chance missing a day. My life depends on it, my loving godfather says. You can't afford me dying. You have too much left to do, right?" Her tone sounded distant, as if she was pushing herself away from him.

As if she thought it was all too good to be true.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "…Girl, we've been through this."

"Have we?" She smiled faintly. "Well then there's no need to go through it again. I'm gonna shower. See ya in a bit." She finished undressing after he grudgingly looked away then hopped under the hot water, washing away her bad thoughts and feelings. Hiei cared about her, right? Why did she suddenly get so depressed? She sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing she was being ridiculous.

So she had some issues to contend with, no big deal. She was a big girl; she would handle it all on her own. She always had in the past…

~*~*~3 years prior~*~*~

_"Damn!" Ayane whispered as she hid behind a tree. She was an inexperienced fighter and had been hoping to avoid any sort of conflict as she figured out how to get to the Ningenkai where she was sure she would be all right for a while._

_Sadly, today was not her day._

_"Come on out and play, Little Girl. I'll be nice."_

_"Hmph. You wish…" she muttered, pulling a couple smoke bombs out of her leg pack. She peeked around the tree and, upon seeing the lizard demon's back, threw the tiny bombs at his reptilian feet. When the bombs exploded, the dark-haired girl made a run for it, the sounds of the demon choking on smoke music to her ears._

_"I'll kill you, you wretch!" he shouted before choking on smoke again._

_"Ugh! That was close! I deserve a drink!" She smiled to herself, nodding before pulling a hooded cloak around herself. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun so no one would be able to see her hair peeking out from her hood. With no hesitation, she bounded her way through the dead forest, walking proudly into a Makai bar she knew very well. Her feet carried her through the waves of demons to the bartender. "Hey, Aki, gimme the usual," she mumble in a weakly disguised voice. She smiled at the large glass of vodka mixed with pickle juice. "You're super awesome." After taking a few gulps and noticing the disgusted looks on the other patrons' faces, she leaned in close. "Any news?"_

_The six and a half feet talk, purple haired common demon shook his head. "Dunno what you're havin' me listen for at this point anymore, Missy. You've gotten more information than I have."_

_She shrugged. "Just wondering is all, Aki."_

_"I did hear that there's supposed to be some kinda tournamen' thing. Should be a bit interestin', I'd think."_

_"Who'll be there?" She threw back the rest of her drink and handed the empty glass to the bartender, waiting for him to refill it before pushing the subject more. "Any special guests I should be aware of? Can ya get me a seat?"_

_"Well, actually, I can, Missy," he answered, wiggling his brows. "It'll cost ya a pretty penny, though."_

_She smiled and slid some currency across the table to him. "That enough for you?"_

_"More than enough," he laughed, handing her the ticket. "These 'ere are some o' the best seats in the stadium!"_

_A light laugh left her throat. "I'll be sure to do business with you again, Aki. Thanks." She tossed back her second glass and stood to leave, noticing a few guys around the bar stand as well. A deep frown crossed her features and she walked through the doors, pretending like she had not noticed the goons. Once through the doors, she leapt onto the roof and waited for the group to sneakily walk through and look around for her._

_"Hm. Where'd she go?" one asked._

_"Why don't you look for her, Dummy?" the tallest, and Ayane assumed "boss" snapped, smacking his underling across the head._

_She felt warm air pass by her ear and she gritted her teeth to keep her lips shut. In one swift moment, she yanked a dagger out of her boot and spun around, securing the blade in the skull of the third man who had snuck up behind her. She bit her tongue to suppress the scream that tried to bubble its way to the surface at the thought of killing another creature. She crouched on the roof, supporting the body with all her strength._

_"Hey, where'd Ryota go?"_

_"I dunno. Must've found some broad."_

_Ayane felt her eye twitch, not liking that she was the "broad" the other two buffoons were talking about. When she felt their spiritual pressures fade to nothing, she shoved the body off her dagger and wiped the blood off. When her feet landed on the ground below her, she went through the employee entrance and motioned for Aki to bring her something to clean it off with; he scampered over with a small bottle of pure alcohol. She cleaned the filthy thing of blood and brain matter._

_"By the way, Aki… Don't get mad, but there's a body on your roof. I can't get it down."_

_"Dammit, Ayane…"_

_"Sorry!"_

~*~*~Present~*~*~

"Moron," Hiei's voice drifted through the shower curtain and her thoughts. "Hn. You aren't…alone now." He was privy to her memory and he had to admit he was a little proud that she had been able to protect herself, even back then. A little part of him even admitted that he was curious about her the more he learned. For the time being, he let any questions he had go unasked and simply did something even harder for him to do: attempt to cheer her up.

She bit her lower lip, shutting her eyes. It felt so nice to hear him say things like that; she had not expected any of this. It was more than she could have hoped for to find her destined mate and, especially, to have him accept as it as he did.

That coming to her attention again, she wondered if he blamed her. After all, when he finally figured it out, he had decided death was better than being with her. The thought of that day crushed her.

"Hiei-dono, do you hate me?" she asked quietly. "I mean, y'know, for what happened between our kinds."

"Tch. Foolish question. Stop wasting your breath."

Her face got warm and she nodded. "O-okay!"

**()()()**

"Kiyomi, hey! Wanna join us for lunch?"

The plan was simple: get inside the girl's head, see what made her tick. They had to see if the wind demon truly wanted revenge or if she would be an ally.

This had not been part of the mission at all.

"Sure! I'd love to! Is this your boyfriend?" Kiyomi teased, standing from her desk and following after the pair.

"Hm. Well, he's something like that." She smiled shyly at Hiei who had not even tried to look at either girl. Ayane was not offended; she knew he was testing the waters, trying to decide if she had a barrier or was masking her thoughts in anyway.

"Strong-quiet type, hm?" the blonde demon teased.

Ayane giggled and nodded. "Yup! Come on – I hear there's a great spot on the roof for lunch!"

"Uhm… I… I'm not very good with heights," Kiyomi said sheepishly, blushing.

"No way! A _wind_ demon afraid of heights?"

"Hey, hush! You were afraid of heights when we were younger, too!"

Ayane blushed at Hiei's skeptic look. "W-well, I just don't look down…"

"Hn? You _fly_, Fool."

"I haven't since I was a little girl," she mumbled.

Kiyomi's eyes widened. "Wow, Ayane-sama! Are you for real? Why not?" She paused and thought about it for a moment. "Well, never mind. I guess it would make sense that you keep them away, hm? I don't think sometimes. Sorry, Ayane-sama."

The younger girl grinned. "No worries. I guess I should get back into it, after all. I am in The Dark Tournament. That could come in handy."

"Didn't that start already? What are you two doing in the Ningenkai?"

"Coming after the big ,bad demon stealing humans, obviously," Ayane teased.

Kiyomi blanched. "Oh no! I feel terrible! I messed up the Tournament for you!" She started prattling on and on about how sorry she was for causing them so much trouble until the shorter girl touched her arm, laughing. "Oh…you weren't serious."

"I have a substitute there for me. No worries."

The three finished their climb to the roof and the girls sat against one of the fences while Hiei leaned against it, eyes shut.

**_She seems to have nothing to hide, Girl, but I would have to use my Jagan to make sure_**, Hiei muttered. Ayane bit her lip but continued smiling and talking animatedly with the other girl. There was some conversation about areas to shop while the two munched on their lunches.

**_Not here, Hiei-dono. We risk being found out in such a public place._**

**_Hn. Fine._**

**()()()**

"Catch ya after school tomorrow?" Kiyomi called as the three parted ways.

Ayane grinned and waved. "Yup! Tomorrow! See ya!"

"Bye!"

Ayane and Hiei walked on in silence for a good while before she broke it: "So. I think we should return for the rest of the Tournament. Koenma has people to watch over the Ningenkai while we're away, right?" She clasped her hands behind her back and peeked at his expression. "Plus, I miss having a lot of downtime. This schedule kinda sucks."

He chuckled at her and nodded his agreement.

"Great! Then it's decided! You get to call Koenma!" She poked his nose and skipped down the street to their apartment.

"Fool…" he sighed, walking after her.

* * *

Ayane: There! Not the bestest chapter, but there ya go!

(Hiei stares, smirking)

Ayane: Not. A. Word. (blushes)

Yusuke: What's going on?

Kurama: Lady Ayane almost—

Ayane: Shut up!

(Hiei chuckles)

Ayane: I may have almost called my fiancé "Hiei-dono" a few times while we were having sex the other day… (shifty eyes)

(Yusuke cracks up)

Kurama: Please review, uhm, kindly…


	13. Chapter 13

Ayane: Blegh. I can't stand my future sister-in-law…

Kurama: Didn't she bring your fiancé and you together?

Ayane: But she's annoyiiiing!

Hiei: Then you should get along with her well.

Ayane: Ass. Anyway, I don't own YYH or songs. I own OCs and poems.

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 13

Her eyes narrowed as she looked into the compact phone. "You'd better check your minions' schedules again, Koenma. I'm pretty sure some of them are free. Some will need to keep an eye on Kiyomi and some on Hanabi-chan."

_"Ayane, I can't expend any of my resources,"_ the small ruler sighed, exasperated. _"And especially not for some human. You'll need to stay where you are."_

"All right, I've had enough of you. I know I have a way to contact your father here somewhere. _He'll_ lend me some help so I can finish the Tournament I trained years for!" She ignored Hiei's chuckle from behind her.

_"Now, now, Ayane. There's no need for that, you know. We can work something out. I'll need a few hours to figure out who's available to cover for you."_

She let out a puff of air. "Koenma, how were you expecting to do this if I had said 'no'? You are such a fool!" Heat rose to her cheeks when she realized how much that word reminded her of Hiei; she blushed even more when he walked up behind her. "Sorry I stole your word," she mumbled, embarrassed. "Been around you too long, I think."

"Hn. Moron," he muttered, smirking.

_"I'll call you back when I've figured this out. Why must you always make my life so hard, Ayane?"_

"'Cause I'm your loving goddaughter. It's what I do," she responded dryly before she shut the phone. With a grin plastered on her face, she turned to Hiei. "So! What should we do? We have a couple of hours till Koenma figures out what he's doing. What do you think we should do?" She gasped when he grunted and lifted her into his arms bridal-style. "Uhm, Hiei-dono, what're you doing then?"

He nipped at her neck, letting her know he would appreciate if they would continue from where they had left off the previous night.

"O-oh! Uhm…" Her face was dark red and she found it hard to swallow and breathe. "I didn't think we'd be…doing anything like that yet," she choked out.

"We won't," he assured her through a growl. "I am not ready to have small ones running around, as it is."

She suppressed a squeal when she thought of little babies with thick, black hair and red eyes running around a fenced-in yard. A squeak made its way past her lips when she imagined a smaller double of Hiei running around. When she finally locked eyes with him again, he was looking at her like she was insane. She giggled and brought his forehead to hers, showing him what she had pictured. He pulled away, blinking and even more confused.

"Feh. Women," he finally grumbled, taking her back to the bedroom with him.

"Hey! You brought it up!" she exclaimed.

"Foolish girl," he said quietly. He laid her on the bed and swooped down on her, pressing his lips to hers as he straddled her hips. **_Stupid, foolish girl_**. He tugged her hair out of the low ponytail she had it in and lost his fingers in the dark locks as he bit her lower lip gently, asking for permission. Almost the second after, his tongue found the inside of her mouth, learning her again. He paid no heed to her hands that trailed up his arms to circle his neck.

"Hiei-dono…" she whispered when his lips left hers to travel down her neck. His kisses teased and burned her skin; she had had no idea he could be so gentle. What had brought this on all of a sudden?

"…Your mind is open to me when we're like this…" he barely whispered, eyes widening ever so slightly at the rush of emotions he felt from her. _I could…get used to this…_

She bit her lip. "Is that not okay?" she wondered aloud, glancing down at him.

He looked up at her, meeting her confused gaze, and smirked coyly. "It's perfect."

"O-okay," she stuttered, feeling his tongue at the crook of her neck. A shudder raked her body as his extended canines dragged across her collarbone. Yet, the entire time, his hands were stroking her cheek and untangling her hair. The way he was acting was strange, to say the least. She, however, could not get enough of it. She toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck and arched against him when he teased her just so.

"Girl, don't tempt me," he growled warningly.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, eyes hazy.

He blinked at her then shifted so his lips met hers again for a moment. "Idiot. There is nothing to be sorry for. Not if you want this."

"Hiei-dono…" She gently gripped his cheeks between her hands and touched her lips to the tip of his nose. "Be nice with me?" she whispered, blushing.

"You will not be hurt," he assured her before dipping his mouth back to her collarbone. A rush of pleasure ran through him at her gasp but he quickly suppressed it. One of his hands slid from her hair to the front of her human girl outfit, removing the ridiculous tie from the collar and loosening her shirt. His hand traveled to the hem of her shirt and he toyed with it for a moment before bringing his other hand down to help him pull the material over her head; she pushed her upper body forward for a moment as he did so, bringing her chest close to his. Instead of letting her fall back to the mattress below her, the fire apparition wrapped one arm around her waist, the other behind her neck, and licked across her chest, along her bra line.

Her body hummed, on fire, waiting for his every move. She was unable to get enough of his touch, his kisses, his caress. Purrs, moans, and other little noises she could not name left her lips. When he slipped her skirt off her legs and kissed the back of her knee, it was all she could do to not completely scream out his name; she gasped instead. His fingers fumbled slightly with the clasp on her bra before that, too, came off and landed somewhere in the room.

"Oh, Hiei-dono…!" she moaned when he laid her back down and kissed down her body to the top of her panty line.

His eyes searched her face for a moment before he took the top of her panties and slid them down her soft legs, his nails dragging gently along.

"Fuck…" she groaned, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"Such vulgar language, Girl."

She blushed. "S-sorry."

"I fail to remember saying I disapproved," he growled, suddenly by her ear. He smirked when she shuddered underneath him.

They returned to no words for the time being, Hiei back at her skin. With each touch of his lips, tongue, and teeth, he felt her body come to life beneath him. He felt her thoughts, her feelings, as her mind became an open book she was unable to shut. He heard her struggling with herself, not sure if she was ready to believe it was true. His glance darted to her face for a little while before he lowered his lips even further, kissing her over her small, silk panties. If her jumping at this contact was not an ego boost, her gasping out his name sure was. A chuckle left his lips; he knew she could feel that, too.

"You're so cruel…" she breathed, barely above a whisper. Her fingers found his hair and she pulled him up by it, delighting in the hiss that left his lips before pulling his mouth to hers. She lazily trailed her hands down his chest, unbuttoning his school shirt as she went. Soon, the tips of her fingers found his warm, toned chest and abdomen and she shivered at the contact. The fabric was completely removed the next moment as she ripped it off him and threw it on the floor by the bed. She was permitted to overpower him for a moment so she was positioned above him, their mouths only then separating.

"Hiei-dono..." she murmured, nuzzling his cheek with her nose. Biting her lower lip, she giggled then dropped down, stripping him of his pants. Her smile faltered when she saw he had nothing on underneath those pants of his.

His smirk returned when he saw her dark blush and watched her shy away. "Hn? Is there something wrong, Girl?"

"Y-you're naked!" she squeaked, knowing she sounded silly.

"And now so are you," he taunted, throwing her torn panties near his shirt. When had he reached up and destroyed them?

"O-oh. Yes…yea, I am…" she mumbled, her face an even deeper red.

He was soon back on top, her face buried in the crook of her neck. **_Tell me when_**, he told her gently, licking at her. Gods, he missed the way she tasted and smelled. Being like this, he felt he could truly get used to being with her.

Forever.

"Please…" she whispered, her body trembling. A small cry left her lips as he obliged, plunging himself deep inside her. Her body tensed up and she barely registered him looking at her, concern hiding in his eyes. After choking back a sob, she growled lowly, "Move."

The fire apparition nodded, pulling slowly in and out of her, despite the fact his body was screaming at him to take her for everything she was worth. He clutched at the sheets beneath her, attempting to maintain his control.

"Hiei-dono," she whined, digging her nails into his arms. Part of her registered his flinch and she quickly yanked her hands away from him. "S-sorry!"

He licked the shell of her ear and grunted, "Again, I was not complaining."

"Unh!" Her hips unconsciously rolled up to meet his, resulting in him going deeper than before and both of them letting out gasps. "Yes…!" she whimpered. Her hips continued to roll into his, more and more needy.

A smirk crossing his features, he rocked back onto his knees then brought her legs over his shoulders. His own nails clawed at her thighs as he held her tight and thrust faster into her, a growl passing through his lips. He nipped at the back of her knee with his exposed and very much elongated canines and could not help his slightly increased speed at her yelp; their bodies screamed for it.

Her body ached for him to be closer than he was, though she somehow doubted that was even possible. She clutched blindly at the sheets beneath her and let her vocal chords run wild, not caring to keep back any of the cries she had previously bitten back. "G-gah…! Hiei-dono!" She arched her back, not caring her legs were digging into his shoulders. "Oh…" she moaned, eyes squeezed shut. She could feel her own canines had lengthened considerably and she felt her face warm a little more from embarrassment. Her mind froze, however, as her soon-to-be mate whispered roughly:

"Look at me."

Of course she obeyed; she had no other choice. Her body screamed and she gasped, not able to fully comprehend the feeling that pooled inside her. She felt dirty and sexy and, after a moment more, her eyes widened. "H-Hiei-dono, I—"

"Hn." He smirked and nodded, knowing instinctively the next part. Her legs slid down, one on either side of him, as he leaned towards her, mouth going for her neck again. He situated himself so she, too, could reach his neck then thrust as hard and fast as he could into the girl under him. As she came, she screamed against him, teeth deep inside skin. She saw fireworks when she shut her eyes and, as she almost fell from her high, she heard the man above her grunt and thrust into her once more, digging his canines into the crook of her neck as he came.

The pair quietly licked the other's bite, shuddering from the touch. Hiei rolled off her and they stared up at the ceiling, neither sure what to say. Ayane reached out slowly and clasped his hand.

"…So, uhm, Hiei-dono…" she started quietly.

"Hn?" he glanced at her shy expression from the corner of his eye.

"I was, erm, wondering…if I…" she trailed off, blushing.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Fool."

"Don't make fun of me!" she pouted, turning her head to look at him. She met his deep crimson gaze and felt her face warm up even more. "It's not nice to make fun of your mate…" she mumbled.

He blinked at her, his expression almost unreadable except for… Was that pride? "Hn. Yes. My mate," he responded. Yup, that was pride, all right.

A puff of air escaped her lips. "Guess we should get dressed, hm? Koenma should be calling us pretty soon." She smiled at him and went to sit up but was stopped by him grabbing her wrist. "Hm? Something wrong, Hiei-dono?" There was an odd silence where the two merely stared at one another before Hiei himself stood, releasing her.

"Moron. You were perfect," he muttered, eyes averted.

Pleasure filled her and she jumped up, hugging him from behind. "Thank you, Hiei-dono! You were amazing, too!"

"Hn."

She giggled and kissed his cheek, choosing not to say a word about the blush that crossed his features at her compliment.

Forget living with her own kind. This _was_ her Heaven. This was her home.

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Ayane: It's shorter than all the other chapters…BUT… (giggles) No more blue balls…

(Hiei grumbles about murder)

Ayane: What's that? You'd let me get away with murder 'cause you love me so much?

(Hiei rolls eyes)

Ayane: Hope you're all happy now! :P


	14. Chapter 14

Ayane: Well, I've had a lot of time to think about it, read fan-fictions, RP, and talk to the silly people who have Yu Yu Hakusho character accounts (yeah, I'm so pimpin' that I've had convos with Hiei, Kurama, Kayko, and Chu, nyah!~) and I've decided that…my muse has not yet left.

(Hiei sweat drops)

Ayane: What? Talking with "you" was magickal. It made me a bit light-headed. "You" even cared enough to warn me "you" were logging off!

Kurama: Oh, Lady Ayane… (chuckles)

Ayane: Pssh, you just don't understand the lengths a rabid fangirl will go!~ I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any songs. I'll own OCs and poems, more than likely, though. Hope you don't mind history!

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Shout-outs: Here's the deal; only reviewers get shout-outs. This counts if you know me semi-personally and tell me on Facebook/other social media sites. **xChaoticxAngelx**: I freaking love you, Cousin! Glad you're enjoying this! Is it really _addicting_? I know my first couple chapters are sorta weak… (sweat drops) I'll more than likely get fed up with seeing them and go through and edit them at a later date. **Skyelar**: You're my favourite: finding me through DA to tell me you love my Hiei drawing and my story! (glomps) Thanks for that _and_ for helping me learn how to RP… .

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 14

_"It's all right, Ayane. Koenma will take care of you until we come back," Celestine cooed as she stroked her daughter's hair. "You know we'll never leave you for long."_

_Little Ayane's lower lip trembled. "Okaa-sama…it's a war. You and Otou-sama may never come back…" she whispered, knowing and understanding this. Despite that, she could not and would not accept it._

_Celestine frowned, something she tried not to do very often in front of her daughter. "You know, Darling, sometimes I wish you weren't so perceptive…" she murmured, holding the small girl close._

_"Celestine," Beken called from the hallway, his voice hard. He knew better than to look in; if he saw his daughter's face now, he feared he would not be able to go through with it. They needed to be there together to show that both sides could live together in peace. They had to do their best to protect her: to let her live wherever she wanted to safely. He sighed and shut his eyes, already knowing it was all in vain._

_"Otou-sama!" Ayane exclaimed, staring in shock up at her father after she tip-toed over behind her mother. "Otou-sama, you're crying!" The small girl wrapped her arms around his legs, frowning. "I'm not mad! I understand!" Her own eyes welled up with tears as she squeezed her father's legs for all she was worth._

_Beken looked down at her then scooped her up in his arms. "Silly Ayane. I don't cry," he said softly, looking over at Celestine. "Is everything ready then?"_

_The hazel-eyed woman nodded shortly, biting her lip. "Koenma should be making us a portal here soon. We'll have time to drop her off and come back through before it closes." She touched her daughter's cheek and smiled lightly. "Dear, you'll be safe; that's the most important part. Even if we don't manage to make it back to you, you'll be able to grow up and have a nice family of your own." Her smile faded ever so slightly. "Maybe you'll be able to live happily for a change. This constant fighting has never been good for you…" she whispered, saddened by her own words. Even before the pair had met, there were problems between their two worlds. A lot of he said, she said had been passed around between the two races: angels and demons never could seem to get along…_

_She was pulled from her reverie as a small hand clutched her arm._

_"Okaa-sama, the portal is here," Ayane said quietly, frowning._

_The three paused at the swirling portal for a silent moment, Ayane in Beken's arms and Celestine clutching her daughter's hand. Her parents looked at one another briefly before they took the final step through it. Ayane felt her head spinning even when the portal ended and she clung to her father, eyes shut tight._

_"Koenma," Beken started gravely._

_"Madam Celestine, Sir Beken," Koenma acknowledged, bowing his head for a moment before leaping down from his desk and approaching them._

_Celestine stepped up, releasing Ayane's hand; her eyes narrowed dangerously as she stared at the small ruler. "You had better keep her safe. You keep her out of trouble and hide her. We all know if there is backlash from this, she will be the first they come for. You know this, I assume?"_

_"Of course, Madam Celestine. Miss Ayane will be safe with me," Koenma said, a bit surprised at her fierceness._

_At this, Ayane opened her eyes and had Beken put her down. The small girl marched over to the ruler of the Reikai and pointed at him, her finger touching his nose. "You don't address a young lady that way!" There was a silence where Koenma twitched slightly and Ayane's parents looked on, proud and amused. Finally, though, Ayane broke it by tearing up. "…You be nice to me," she whispered, eyes shadowed by her hair._

_Celestine pressed her fist to her mouth and Beken put his hands on her shoulders, giving them a light squeeze._

_"Okaa-sama, Otou-sama… I love you. I'll miss you…" she choked out. She felt them hold her to them and knew they felt bad about doing what they had to do. She knew being selfish was wrong and she should just let them go on their way. Even knowing this, though, she clung to them and asked them, quietly, not to leave her all alone._

_Her mother was the first to stand, turning away to keep her daughter from seeing the pain on her face. Beken ruffled Ayane's hair one more time before joining his wife._

_"I love you, Ayane… Please don't ever forget that," the brown-haired woman whispered before disappearing back through the swirling vortex without a backward glance._

_Beken, however, turned and grinned at Ayane and Koenma. "We'll see you again, Ayane, I promise! Maybe not in this lifetime, but we'll see you again!" He laughed nervously when he saw her crying more; he never was good at these pep talks. His face grew hard as he became serious. "Ayane, you're strong. You'll make it through. You just promise me one day I'll have some nice kid I can call my son and some little grandkids."_

_"Otou-sama!" she whined, tears forgotten as she balled up her fists. "I don't want some yucky boy!"_

_He grinned and patted her head, down on one knee. "That's my girl. You stay that way and you'll make it. No one'll mess with you." He kissed her forehead, stood, then turned away and followed his wife's lead. Before she could even open her mouth, the portal vanished._

_"…I'm never going to see them again…" she said quietly, staring at the empty space where the portal once was. She felt the tears well up in her eyes again and she plopped down on the floor, legs crossed in front of her. It was crazy that in a few moments she had lost everything she had ever known. A part of her knew she would never even have the opportunity to go back to the castle they had once called their home. She had been her parents' world and now that they were gone she felt so…small._

_"So, uhm…" Koenma started out awkwardly, catching the little girl's attention. "What do you do for fun?"_

_She blinked slowly as she looked over her shoulder at him. "I set fire to annoyances." It took a moment for that to settle in and when he started to slowly back away, she said, "It's just Ayane. I don't like 'Miss'. Our servants called me 'Little Miss'." She hopped up and turned fully to him. "Thank you for being my parents' friend!"_

_Something told him it would be some long decades…_

_~*~*~40 Years Later~*~*~_

_"Can I leave this Hell now?" An older Ayane asked, staring out the window, bored. Her hair had grown a few inches past her shoulders and she had filled out, giving off the appearance of a fifteen year old human girl._

_Koenma looked up from his stack of paperwork and sighed. "Ayane, it's not that bad. I wish you'd stop with the exaggerations…" He sweat dropped at her deadpan expression. "Just what would you do in another realm, hm? I promised to keep you safe."_

_"Koenma-sama, with all due respect, I can defend myself enough to journey through the Makai! I'm not as pathetic as you think I am! Heck, you know what? You could even make me a Spirit Detective! I think the humans you've been putting in the position would do well with me or another demon along."_

_The pint-sized ruler laughed at this, perhaps more than was necessary. When he sobered, he saw Ayane turned away from him with her arms crossed, pouting and muttering something foul. "Ayane, don't be ridiculous."_

_"I'm not!"_

_He smiled. "You're free to travel all over the Reikai, you know that. And in a few years you'll be able to travel the Makai with a good guardian."_

_"I don't need protection," she growled, bristling._

_"Of course you don't," he sighed, watching her stomp off. He shut his eyes and shook his head. "Sir Beken, Madam Celestine…you are both very cruel to leave me to raise your moody teenage daughter…" he sighed._

_~*~*~13 Years Later~*~*~_

_Ayane's eyes darted around the dark office space; tonight would be the night she would make it on her own. Her feet did not betray her as she snuck over to the large desk and flicked on the computer Koenma used to hold open emergency portals. She stared blankly at the screen for a moment, unsure of what to do, when someone cleared their throat from behind her. Her face paled and she slowly turned to look down at Koenma._

_"Oh, Ayane," he frowned, noticing her bag. "Do you have someone to stay with?"_

_"Of course! I'm not completely irresponsible, Koenma-sama! Rina-chan, that nice cat demon that stayed last summer, will let me stay with her until I get my feet on the ground!"_

_He shook his head and had her lift him up so he could control the computer. Muttering, he entered a few passcodes and his index finger hovered over a key for a moment, his eyes meeting hers. "You have until your 100th birthday, Ayane. I'll let you live your own life but when that day comes, I'll be there to check up on you."_

_She smiled and hugged him. "Don't be ridiculous. You and I both know you'll check up on me regardless! Just send some of your ferries to check up on me from time to time; I'll always welcome them." She patted his head and beamed when her portal showed up. "I'll see ya in about 40 years then, Koenma-sama!" Without waiting for a response, the excited hybrid raced through the portal._

_"Ayane-onee-sama!" a squeal pierced her ears; she turned to greet the cat demon who tackled her in a massive hug. "I missed you! I thought you'd never show up!"_

_"Oh…you're so melodramatic," Ayane mumbled, patting Rina's head._

_The younger girl looked at Ayane and grinned. "Did ya sneak out?_

_"No, Koenma-sama caught me. He's giving me 40 years of downtime."_

_"Seriously?" Ayane was not sure eyes could get any bigger; she nearly feared Rina's would pop out of her head. "Wow! I didn't know he could be so cool!"_

_"Yeah… I didn't either." The dark-haired girl smiled faintly, shoving her friend off. "I'm staying a night and then I'll be off. Adventures to have, demons to meet: that sorta thing." Her smile grew broader. "Perhaps I'll try my hand at stealing while I'm free. Koenma-sama won't be too rough on me, after all."_

_Rina shook her head at her friend's newfound freedom. "Not the brightest idea you've ever had, Ayane-onee-sama."_

_"It'll be fun, though," she responded, winking._

_~*~*~10 Years Later~*~*~_

_"Yes, I'm sure. Tell him to stop worrying so much. Geez. When I told him you girls could stop by to check on me, I didn't mean once a week! I may as well disappear!" she snapped, not intending to ream out the Reaper whose name she still didn't know._

_Said Reaper smiled nervously and nodded. "I'll be sure to tell him you're fine then, Miss Ayane."_

_"Don't you _ever_ call me that again." Ayane's eyes narrowed and she temporarily wished she could send poison to Koenma through his Reapers…_

_"S-sorry!" In an instant, the scared Reaper disappeared as quickly as she had come._

_The dark-haired girl blinked. "Oh… I guess I scared off another one, hm? …I don't get why some of them have to be so peppy! Stupid Koenma…"She continued grumbling to herself as she wandered along the pathway to the little building she had occupied as her home; living in the wild was not exactly her forte, but after moving from castle to palace it was especially hard for her to get accustomed to normal demon life._

Doesn't help I'm not a normal demon_, she thought to herself, shutting the door to her tiny house behind her._

_True to her word, ten years prior she had left Rina's house before the cat demon had even woken up. She left a note to tell the girl not to bother looking for her and that she would be okay. She promised her she would see her again one day. Guilt coursed through her as she wrote those words, knowing that anything could happen and she may never actually see Rina again. However, the younger girl was not used to the harsh world Ayane had lived in and needed those ridiculous words of comfort._

_Fat lot of good they ever did anyone._

_"Ugh! I need a drink…" She had taken up some questionable activities while residing in the Makai and could drink most of the clientele at the bar she frequented under the table within an hour. While also being a good distraction from her past, her being able to drink so much while the others around her stumbled around stupidly helped her gain intel that could she was able to sort into two categories: useful and useless. She had made good friends with the owner and bartender, Aki, and knew if anything got out of hand he would handle it if she was unable to deal with it herself._

_Surprisingly, she had found she _could_ defend herself, if only slightly. She knew she would be useless against, say, an A class, and she would be squished like a bug if brought up against a S class, but the C class were easy to handle._

_She stretched and tore her black cloak down from the hook it hang from, securing it tight around her before covering her head and most of her face with her hood. As silly as the disguise was, it seemed to fool many patrons – especially when she started ordering her drinks. She was cautious this night, though, as an odd wind blew._

_"There ya are!" Aki called over the crowd as she walked in. "Seems ya got someone who wants t' out drink ya tonight, Yan! She's the one I was tellin' ya 'bout!"_

_Ayane blinked at the tall man sitting at the bar: he was dark-skinned and had some kind of crazy Mohawk thing going on with his blue hair. He eyed her up and started laughing._

_She could not help it; she twitched._

_"What's so funny?" she grumbled, sitting next to him._

_"Ah, Sheila, this guy here was sayin' you could out drink me! I think he's got a wobbly boot on, if ya know what I mean!"_

_She blinked. "…What did you just call me?"_

_"Ha, ha, ha! Drinks all around, mate!" He grinned at the cheers. "It's my day off!"_

_"Ah…" She put her chin on her hands and nodded at Aki who started filling up her glass. This was shaping up to be an odd night indeed…_

_"Chu," her companion said simply._

_She gave him a sidelong glance then downed her drink and turned to him. "Ayane."_

_"Ah, you're ripe!" he laughed, swigging more of his own booze._

_A smile flitted across her features. "Drink up, Chu. It's gonna be a long night."_

* * *

Ayane: Bah! Here it is!

Hiei: That drunken moron!

(Ayane giggles)

Kurama: Lady Ayane…I don't remember your OC ever drinking in your other stories…

Ayane: Well, duh, that's 'cause I didn't drink back then! Silly Kurama… Oh my gods! I'm SO drawing Ayane and Chu chilling and drinking! …After I post this and get some sleep… Hope ya liked it… Not used to writing pure history. Not sure if I even liked it. (frowns…)


	15. Chapter 15

Ayane: Mother… Geez, Chu's hard to draw. (sweat drops) You wouldn't think he'd be such a pain in the rear.

(Kurama chuckles)

Ayane: It's not funny! Anyway, I don't own YYH or any songs. I own OC(s) and poems! Hugs and kisses!

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Shout-outs: **Kirstykakes** – So glad you liked the addition of Chu! :D I debated for a while but finally decided I didn't wanna make a new character that I may or may not use in the future so I added the wonderful Chu! **xChaoticxAngelx** – Cousin! Mwah! I'm glad you like little Ayane! I am super fond of her. (grins) Stubborn and serious and mature… Gah! Love her!

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 15

"Wake up," Hiei grunted, nudging his mate's shoulder as he sat upright next to her. She had fallen asleep on the bed, holding the compact phone; the memories he had been privy to as she slept only taunted him with more questions.

Ayane squinted up at him, yawning. "Hm? Oh! Has that jerk called back yet?" A frown crossed her lips when he shook his head. "So not cool… How long have I been sleeping?"

"Few hours," he responded shortly. He turned his gaze away from her.

"I'm gonna give that jerk a piece of my mind," she grumbled, noticing Hiei's strange behavior. "But first things first! I'm hungry. Have you made me dinner yet?" she asked as she propped herself up on her elbows. When he looked back at her, a scowl on his face, she pushed herself up and kissed his lips gently. "Stop acting weird. I don't like it."

He was silent as he watched her stand and comb out her hair with her fingers. She looked at him, smiled, then left the room. The moment her feet touched the floor of the other room, he felt as though he should go after her. He just could not explain the way he felt right now; it was as if something was going to happen and he would lose her.

Why was he so hung up on this?

He growled at himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose; this girl would be the death of him, he thought, though a little voice inside him told him that was not such a bad way to die. With a smirk, the fire-ice hybrid stood and followed Ayane's lead, pausing in the doorway when he saw her standing in the middle of the living room, glaring into the compact phone.

"I swear if that moron doesn't answer…" he heard her growl; gods, if only she knew how her little sounds affected him. His legs brought him behind her and he leaned forward, licking the exposed side of her neck.

"Hiei-dono!" she giggled, swatting at him.

He bit down on her mark, causing her to cry out. "…Moron. Don't call me that."

"Don't you like it?" she breathed, unconsciously shutting the compact phone. Her head tilted slightly, giving him more room to play.

"Hn. You're my mate, not my slave," he muttered.

A blush dusted her cheeks. "O-oh…"

"Moron," he muttered, pulling away from her to sit on the couch. He smirked at her red face and how she fumbled with the phone, attempting to contact Koenma again. After a few moments, the call finally went through.

_"Ayane? I told you I would call you,"_ Koenma started sheepishly. For a moment, he stared at her unrelenting glare, laughing nervously. _"Well, to be honest, Ayane, I haven't found anyone able to take over for you two yet. Everyone has been distracted with the Tournament and all…"_ He was silent for a while before his eyes narrowed. _"What's wrong with your neck?"_

She blinked then adjusted her hair, hiding the mark. "Nothing's _wrong_ with it, Koenma-sama. My neck is just fine! Now find me someone. Please. I can't stay here much longer."

_"Where's Hiei? I'm going to give that demon a piece of my mind!"_

"Fool," Hiei muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Look, Koenma, you're getting distracted. What's important right now is that you find us someone to stay behind in the Ningenkai. I want to come back to the Tournament!"

Koenma sighed. _"Your team hasn't had the chance to fight again, yet, if that's what's worrying you, Ayane."_

"I don't care about that!" she laughed. "Let me talk to Kurama-kun, please?"

There were some muffled words and rustling around then Kurama's face came into view. _"Lady Ayane!"_ he exclaimed, almost relieved.

"Kurama-kun! How are things there?" She glanced over at Hiei and rolled her eyes at his protective growling. "I have some great news!"

_"Things are fine here. The battles are on hiatus right now, as we need to relocate to another stadium."_ He smiled lightly at her laughter. _"And what's your news then?"_

A grin graced her features and she glanced at Hiei for a moment before flipping her hair back over her shoulder. A giggled escaped her when the redhead gasped. "It's official!"

_"…I see that…"_ Was that a smiled Hiei heard in the fox's voice?

"Good to know someone's happy for me!" she laughed. A confused expression crossed her face as Hiei snatched the compact phone from her in a flash. She looked up at him, showing her confusion.

"Kit, your human girl seems to be doing poorly," he muttered, looking meaningfully at his red-haired friend. **[1]**

There was silence for a while, Ayane blinking at her mate, wondering what in the seven hells he was talking about, and Kurama thinking. Finally, the latter broke the silence:

_"You've seen her?"_ Another pause after Hiei nodded. _"Hanabi…"_ the red-head sighed.

Ayane's eyes widened as she realized what was going on then. "Kurama-kun, you know Hanabi-chan?" she squeaked, pushing herself against Hiei, who tensed, to look into the phone again. "You and Hanabi-chan are an item?"

Kurama's face competed with his hair for a moment before he cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes. _"I ran into her after she lost someone she was close to, yes. I had to leave for the tournament, of course, so I couldn't stay there with her to keep her distracted. To answer your question, Lady Ayane, we are friends."_

"Then why'd Hiei-dono call her _your_ human girl?" she accused, ignoring the grumbling from the aforementioned at her use of "-dono".

_"That's just the way Hiei is. Surely you know this by now?"_ he teased, amused.

She pursed her lips and walked away from the phone and Hiei, muttering "denial" over her shoulder. "I'm making dinner!" she told Hiei, walking into the kitchen area.

Crimson eyes followed her for a moment before he made his way to one of the free windowsills, phone still in hand. "Kit, she wants to return to the tournament. Make the infant expend some resources to watch your human and this wind demon."

_"Hiei, I can't _make _him do it…"_ He raised an eyebrow at his friend's grumbling. _"It's wonderful you want to make Lady Ayane happy, Hiei, and I'll try to help out, but I can only do so much."_ He frowned, not even amused by Hiei's protests. _"Though now Hanabi's a part of this, I do have personal reasons for pushing it. That was clever of you."_ He smiled distantly as if remembering a far off memory.

"I don't remember saying I did this for you," Hiei growled.

_"I wouldn't dare hope you did,"_ Kurama laughed.

A cry from the kitchen caused Hiei to throw down the phone and be by Ayane's side in a matter of milliseconds. She stood by the sink, running her forearm under cold water. When she noticed him standing by her, staring at her incredulously, she blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"I burnt my arm," she explained.

He shut his eyes for a moment, attempting to collect his thoughts. "You," he started as he opened his eyes again, "will be the death of me."

"Probably," she mumbled, removing her arm from the water and tenderly touching the tip of her index finger to the burn mark, wincing slightly.

He took her hand away from the burn and lowered his mouth to her arm, brushing his lips around the burn before he gently licked the spot, his saliva providing just enough healing power to return the small patch to normal. His eyes trailed up to hers and he smirked when he saw the hazed over look she gave him.

"That…that wasn't fair," she said thickly, blinking hard. She made a disapproving noise when he chuckled. When her mind finally cleared itself of fog, she stared at him. "So did you finish talking to Kurama-kun then?"

The fire-ice hybrid crossed his arms and looked away from her, having completely forgotten about the conversation he had been in the middle of with Kurama; he had rushed to her, instead. Of course he would refuse to admit that.

"Could just tell me you were done," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she walked back over to the stove.

He watched her move about the kitchen, leaning into the refrigerator to pull out food and messing with knobs and cooking utensils at the stove. It was odd, watching her cut up the variety of foods; he had never even watched Kurama cook before. He walked over to her and leaned his back against the corner, his eyes warily watching her hands.

"I'm not going to hurt myself," she teased, not moving her eyes from her process.

"Moron…" he responded quietly.

"You shouldn't call me names when I have a weapon in my hand," she told him, eyes wide. She stopped her activity and looked at him. "I could hurt you, you know."

He touched the side of her face and smirked, letting her know he did not believe her one little bit. His smirk faltered when she nuzzled her face against his hand. "Foolish," he muttered, jerking away.

"You're funny." Her smile was faint as she turned back to the counter, picking her knife back up. **[2] **"You should return the call you hung up on," she said casually, giggling at his grumbling.

As if on cue, they heard the little phone go off in the other room. He ignored the look she gave him as he walked off to answer it. When it was opened, Yusuke's face crowded the screen.

_"Yo, Hiei! Where's Ayane at?"_

His crimson eyes narrowed at the brown eyed man. "What do you want from her?" A tiny voice in his head scolded him for acting so protectively, even though he knew their relationship was simply familial.

_"Geez, Kurama wasn't kidding – you _are_ crazy jealous!"_ Yusuke laughed. _"Just wanted to let you both know Ayane's good to come back. Pacifier Breath didn't think she was really in the mood to talk to him after everything that's happened. Let her know for me, would ya, Hiei?"_ He grinned at Hiei's curt nod. _"By the way, Man, congratulations!"_

Hiei scowled at Yusuke. "I don't recall telling _you_," he snarled.

_"Nah! Kurama kinda gave it away when he warned us how you'd be!"_

"Why all the yelling?" Ayane asked, annoyed, as she walked in. "I try to make a nice meal and all I hear in this room is yelling!"

_"Hey, Ayane!"_ Yusuke greeted, hearing the girl.

Her eyes widened and she rushed over, looking at the screen. "Urameshi-sama!"

Yusuke's laughter echoed in her ears. _"Thought we were past that, now, 'Yan!"_

She flushed and looked down. "Ah… Y-yeah. I guess so. Sorry." A grumble from Hiei got her attention and she looked back into the phone. "So what's up?"

_"Pacifier Breath says you'll be all right to come back in a few hours. He's gonna send a portal your way then."_

"Really? Oh, that's awesome! Thank you so much!" A huge smile stretched across her face but faltered when she heard a familiar voice in the background. "…Wait a minute. I know that Australian accent…" she murmured. "What in the seven hells is _Chu_ doing there?"

_"I know that sheila!"_ Yusuke was pushed aside, exclaiming, _"Hey!"_

"Chu! I can't believe it! I haven't seen you at all since the last tournament! When'd you show up?"

Hiei stood silently next to her, watching her face light up. He had only seen the pair of them meeting while she slept. It was a bit annoying for him to watch her get so happy over some other demon.

No amount of torture would make him admit that.

_"Ah, Sheila! Didn' think I'd ever see you outside a boozer!"_

She giggled. "Quit yer earbashing, you damn, off your face, Aussie."

The Mohawked man let out a howl. _"Ace! You've practiced!"_

She nodded fiercely. "Had to! Gotta try to understand you, loon!"

_"Still a little bodgy, Sheila, but you're gettin' there."_

Her mate stared blankly at her, wondering what she was ranting about with the crazy drunk on the other end. After a few moments, he shook his head and sat back on the couch, a bit alarmed when she hurriedly plopped down next to him, giving him a tiny smile before returning to her nonsense conversation. He changed his opinion on her mood; he was almost relieved that she was smiling and laughing.

Of course, he would die before he admitted that, either.

"All right, all right, Aussie! I'll visit when we get back! We'll get a Butcher."

_"Ace! Till then, Sheila!"_ The Australian laughed and tossed the phone back to Yusuke, who swore loudly as he almost dropped it.

"Tell Koenma he'd better be on time for this," Ayane said, frowning. "Ten at the latest, okay?"

_"I'll let him know, 'Yan,"_ Yusuke said, grinning. _"On another note, when'd you meet the drunkard?"_ He listened to her a moment before cutting her off. _"There's no way_ you _drink! You don't look it at all! And there's no way you nearly drank as much as him!"_ he cried, eyes wide and incredulous. After she laughed and explained more, he shook his head and sighed. _"Crazy, I tell you… Hiei, your woman's a drunk!"_

She blushed. "I haven't had anything in years," she said quickly, facing Hiei. "I'm not a drunk, I promise."

"Hn," he muttered, smirking only slightly.

"I'm not…" He touched her hand for a moment before looking away. "Yusuke-san, I only ask you relay my message to Koenma. I hope to see you all soon." She smiled and clicked the phone shut. Her eyes slid shut and she rested her head against Hiei's shoulder, smiling lightly when he tensed. "It's okay to stay calm, you know. We've been as intimate as we can possibly be; we're mates. There's really no reason for you to be so weird about us."

"Moron."

She smiled widely, shutting her eyes. "You're so weird…"

"You're a fool."

"You're a jerk."

"…I refuse to have this childish argument."

She kissed his cheek and stood, taking his hand. "So…wanna help me finish dinner?" He stood and followed behind her, watching as she threaded her fingers through his so innocently. "I think you'll really like what I'm making; I've worked real hard to get to this level!"

He tightened his grip slightly. He would not ask about Chu; he decided he did not care. After all, she was his and not Chu's or anyone else's. She was his.

Forever.

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**[1]** – I _do_ have a story planned for little miss Hanabi. I just need to pick it back up. Writing this has encouraged me to!

**[2]** – Totally wrote "nife", went back to fix it, and mentally said "kuh-nife". I'm so hardcore.

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Ayane: Hells yeah! Starting my new job on Monday! Wanna get at least one chapter of each story up before then… We'll see! I have a weekend to do this!

Hiei: Stop shouting, Woman.

(Ayane cackles)

Kurama: Oh, Lady Ayane… (smiles) Review kindly!

Ayane: Oh yeah! Working on drawing Little Ayane with Paint Tool Sai and my Wacom Bamboo Tablet! And sorry that this chapter wasn't fantastic! I was distracted… Teehee!


	16. Chapter 16

Ayane: So I got a little distracted…and now with stupid early mornings during the week and the fact I'm a damn night owl, I'll never get anything done. I shouldn't have agreed to this job…

Kurama: Oh, Lady Ayane. (chuckles)

Ayane: It's not funny. (deadpans)

Kurama: Lady Ayane owns nothing but her OCs.

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Shout-outs: **MyLifeInWhole**: Teehee. Sorry for causing a massive distraction!... I'll try harder. (winks) I aim to please! **Kungfupandabear**: (grins) Thanks for responding to the AN! I'm glad you're behind me on this!

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 16

The swirling portal waited in front of the pair; if it had thoughts, it would wonder what was taking them so long to get through. Ayane stared at the ground, blushing, while Hiei's eyes were glued to her, almost incredulous.

"Visit?" he finally asked, arching a brow at her.

"W-well…we became lovers here, you know… I just thought it would be appropriate to be a bit sentimental."

Hiei shut his eyes for a moment, forcing back the bubble of laughter building up in him. The "sentimental" girl had already decided she wanted to keep the sheets, pillows and blankets they slept in for the past week. After deciding his humour over the situation was destroyed, he opened his eyes again. "That's idiotic. I despise this Realm."

"Yeah," she mumbled, wincing.

He rolled his eyes and frowned. Why were females so damn emotional? "Hn. Let's go."

"Okay…" She silently trailed behind him, taking one final glance around the living room before she stepped through the portal…

…and crashed right into someone on the other side.

"Gah!" She fell backwards, landing hard on her butt as the portal closed.

"Moron," Hiei muttered, staring empathetically down at her after he turned around. He sighed when a pout crossed her lips and he extended his hand to her. After lifting her up, he quickly released her and turned away again to face the room.

It was as if they heard the pair was coming back and they all ran in fear of their wrath.

Well, except a lone red-head, of course.

"Lady Ayane! Hiei!" Kurama greeted, smiling broadly. "Everyone is in our room, waiting for the two of you. How was your vacation?"

Ayane returned his wide smile. "You ask such crazy questions, Kurama-kun!" Her brain registered Hiei's protective growl and she eyed him warily. "Would you like an over-protective mate breathing down your neck and making sure no one came in contact with you?" She smiled innocently at the glare the mate she spoke of turned on her.

Kurama's own secretive smile broadened and he approached the two; Hiei studied him suspiciously when he was unable to look into his mind. "Well, I'm sure the others are anxious to see you both after the time apart. I know Rina and Sai have missed you something awful, Lady Ayane."

That was all he needed to say to get Ayane moving; if there was anyone she loved more than Hiei, it was her friends. They kept her going whenever she just wanted to give in. She knew her mate was giving her a strange look as they walked down the hall, but she ignored it, a bounce to her walk. Friends were all she had if everything else fell apart; she felt bad for Hiei, who did not appear to have many friends. After a pause in her thought process, she beamed over her shoulder at him.

"I'll be your friend, Hiei-dono!"

Hiei's face went blank as he, once again, attempted to ignore her. Kurama chuckled, a sweat drop forming on the back of his head.

"What did I say this time?" she grumbled, turning away again to cross her arms and pout. "I was just saying I'd be your friend…"

The crimson eyed man rolled his eyes to the ceiling before he darted his glare to Kurama, who seemed to be forcing back a fit of laughter. **_Hn? And just what is so funny?_**

The fox smiled softly and shook his head. **_This was good for you, Hiei. I'm very glad the two of you found each other._**

Hiei crossed his own arms and averted his gaze from Kurama. It took him a moment to realize his eyes had landed on the young woman's backside and, when he did, he glowered at the wall instead, ignoring Kurama's weak attempts at covering up his laughter.

"Here we are!" she exclaimed, stopping in front of the team's room. She pressed an ear to the cold door and listened hard. "Sounds like they're all quiet for a change…" she whispered, finger pressed to her mouth. She turned the knob and creaked the door open, briefly wondering why it was so dark in the room. There was not much time to wonder, however, as lights flicked on and people jumped out from behind furniture, shouting things. Ayane jumped backwards, squeaking, into Hiei.

"Morons," Hiei growled, his arms unconsciously winding around Ayane's waist. It had become something he was used to and he was almost unwilling to give that up. Luckily, he had poked in a few of the minds that were attempting to be hush-hush as they lay in wait, planning the "surprise congratulations" ridiculousness so he was far from surprised.

Hazel eyes widened in surprise as they took in the poster and the grins of the people in the room. "I…don't understand. What here's grounds for congratulations?" She blinked at the blank expressions crossing everyone's faces. "What?"

"Yan, ya got Hiei clinging to you like a lost puppy," Yusuke sniggered, at which point Hiei hastily released her and moved a few feet away.

"What? He was not! You jerks scared me! He was protecting me!" she exclaimed, a pout firmly in place. It slowly faded as she took in the decorations and the faces of the rest of those in the room. "Seriously, though, what are we celebrating?"

"Oh, Ayane-san, it's so wonderful! From what I hear, the equivalent of a willing mating is a successful marriage in the Ningenkai!" a petite, blue-haired girl Ayane did not remember meeting before said happily, taking Ayane's hands in hers. "Thank you for choosing to take care of Hiei-san for the rest of your lives!"

Ayane opened her mouth to speak but paused, caught up in the girl's gaze. "Oh, gods! I know you! You're that cute little ice maiden, aren't you? The one looking for her brother and got kidnapped for your tear gems? Oh, Yukina-san, it's so wonderful to meet you!" There was another pause and she turned, eyes narrowed, as she pointed accusingly across the room at the tall, spiritually aware human in the room. "You liar! There's no way someone this adorable could be with you! _I'd_ have a better chance with her!"

There was a very awkward silence then and Ayane swore she saw a few of the guests she did not even know twitch. There was a fierce, angry glare on her back and she turned slowly to look at Hiei, a nervous giggled leaving her lips. "Ah-ha… I'd never cheat on him, of course. I was just saying that twos and nines don't go together!" To this, she heard Yusuke let out an absurdly loud laugh.

"Idiot," Hiei seethed behind her.

"What the hell did I do this time?" she snapped, turning fully to him. "You're such a moody bastard all of a sudden!"

"Ayane-onee-sama!" Rika's voice interrupted the soon-to-be argument as the cat demon leaped on her friend. "You've really come back! Wai! I've missed you! Sai's been a big meanie to me!"

"I have not! She's being a baby 'cause I beat her fair and square in a fight!" the shadow demon defended himself, pouting.

After that, the party the boys had planned really started. Ayane was urged to participate in a drinking contest with Chu, Shizuru, and Yusuke; she was pleased to find she had not lost her touch and she giggled, tipsy, with the former two as Yusuke sprawled out on the floor, wasted. A few times she caught a glimpse of Hiei resting against the wall near her or, occasionally and much to her chagrin, Yukina. He acted differently towards that girl, and it bothered her a bit.

Suddenly, halfway through yet another glass, she started laughing at herself. How could she have been so _stupid_? He had been looking for his sister for some time, had he not? She stood and stumbled over to Hiei, beaming when he opened one eye to study her warily.

"You," she started, finger close to his face, "are _fucking_ _adorable_." Before anyone could question her thought process, she shoved herself close to him and jerked his face down to hers, pushing her lips forcefully against his.

For a moment, the fire-ice hybrid tensed, feeling everyone's eyes on them, but, _gods_, the things that woman did with her tongue… He forced himself to tear away and looked down at her in a futile attempt to calm his own libido. "You're drunk."

"Nuh-uh," she responded childishly, waggling a finger in his face. "I, Sir, am _tipsy_ and not in the _least bit_ drunk." She ignored the silent gaping around the room. "And _you_, Darling, are to take me to my bedroom."

He froze at her suggestive grin and only snapped out of his trance when he heard the cat-calls echoing around the room. "And why should I do that?" he muttered, crossing his arms and looking away.

"So we can have make-up sex," she answered innocently and honestly, confused as to why the silly question had passed his lips.

The man in front of her sucked some air down the wrong tube and he coughed, glaring daggers at the woman in front of him. "Woman, I swear if you do not stop talking…"

"Make me," she responded, barely a whisper, before winking and turning to leave the too full room.

"You should probably follow her to make sure she gets there safely, Hiei," Kurama said suddenly from beside Hiei. The redhead smiled at his friend and the atmosphere in the room lifted again, most too drunk to pay much attention to one thing for long. "Shou is still around, after all."

Hiei acknowledged his friend's comments with a brief nod before he completely vanished from his place on the wall.

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

Frowning, she sat at the foot of her bed, waiting for him to show, wondering how angry he would be with her. Truthfully, her buzz started to vanish soon after she walked over to him. She groaned and threw herself back onto her bed. What would he do to her for what she had said to him? She very nearly shivered when she thought of the possibilities. A squeak left her lips and she turned onto her stomach, shaking her head into the comforter. When had she become so sick and perverted?

Oh. Right. When he started touching her…

"Woman," a familiar voice growled; she tensed. "Hn. Moron. I'm not here to hurt you…" His tone changed drastically, alert to her reactions.

She turned over again and studied him. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you," she murmured. "I just wanted to talk, really." She smiled at his annoyed expression of "you could have just said it that way instead". "You probably wouldn't have followed as quickly, would you?"

"Hn." He sat stiffly next to her, glaring at the far wall. When she sat up and stared almost expectantly at him, he gave her a slight inclination of his head to let her know he was listening.

"I didn't mean to upset you with what I said to Yukina-chan," she started slowly, noticing his jaw clench. "I also can't believe how dumb I am for not realizing immediately who she is and why she is so important to you. Can you believe I got _jealous_ over that? I thought you were in love with her or something!"

He stared at her from the corner of his eyes. "Who she is?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, come now. Women aren't as blind as Kuwabara! I wondered why her eyes were so, erm, _enticing_. Yes, that's a nice word," she mumbled, blushing at the look he gave her. "Also, Hiei-dono," –she ignored the hiss that left his lips– "I told you I know a hell of a lot about you. I know you have a sister. I know you're from the Floating Ice Island." She saw him look away once more. "I know you're ashamed of your past. I won't speak a word," she finished softly, her fingers falling on his arm.

Just like that, he pushed her back into the bed and straddled her at her hips, burying his face in her neck. He barely registered her speaking to him again as he lost himself in her scent. "Hn?"

"I said: I'm sorry I made you angry."

He nipped at her neck. "Angry?"

"Sure. All your friends think you're a dirty pervert now and that's my fault! I can't seem to control my tongue when I've been drinking…"

A chuckle escaped him and he nibbled on her earlobe. "I noticed," he said, his voice deep and husky as he alluded to the kiss she stole from him when she took him by surprise. He quickly claimed her mouth with his, letting her be the first to melt into it. When he succeeded in his goal, he nipped at her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Her whole body shivered under him when he sucked sensuously on the wound.

Her fingertips danced lightly to the nape of his neck where they lingered for a moment before burying themselves in his hair and tugging slightly, attempting to pull him away. When he let out a growl of warning, she faltered in her pulls and let her arms drop to the bed, where he soon grabbed and held in place; she let out a throaty moan.

He released her lips from his hold and nipped at her chin then her neck, damn pleased to be back in private with his mate. He could not stand that room full of people they knew, whether he liked them or not. It was as Yukina had said to him at some point during the evening: it was as if they were still on the honeymoon after the wedding. With all the time wasted in the Ningenkai, of course Hiei knew what these ridiculous notions she spoke of were and he nearly blushed at the comparison his own sister made relating to his…_activities_.

"Hiei-dono…!" she whimpered as he scraped his teeth against the mark he left on her.

That was right. She was his as he, pride struggling, was hers. He smirked as he realized the one way Yukina's comparison was completely off base: they had no choice. Until they died, they would be together. There was no "divorce" in the laws of destined mates. As he pressed his lips to hers again, he smirked.

Demons were so much simpler than humans.

* * *

Ayane: Wow. Done! And I only started it hardcore today, during my lunch break! I really hope you all enjoyed it. (smiles) I'm leaving the AN up for now. I may delete it at a later date. I'd be super appreciative of reviews!


	17. Chapter 17

Ayane: Let me make this clear: I _totally_ support Yukibara/Kurakina/Kazukina/Yukuma/etc. I just also very much enjoy picking on Kazuma. (smiles) I adore him, really. He's a sweetie!

(Hiei rolls his eyes)

Ayane: Stop it, you! I only own OCs!

* * *

Shout-outs: **Hieidrkdragon3**: You're freaking adorable! **middlekertz:** Teehee. I've hooked another one… (cackles) Glad you're liking it!

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 17

Ayane had woken before the sun, finding herself wrapped in her mate's protective hold. A sigh left her; he was like this, even in his sleep… It took a few minutes for her to successfully escape from his grasp, replacing herself with her own pillow. She held in a giggle when she stood over him, acknowledging how ridiculous he looked.

_Right! Off to train!_ She nodded to herself, walking to her dresser and changing into some typical training clothing: a black cami and jean shorts. Grabbing her miscellaneous weapons that sat on top of the dresser, she turned and found herself face to face – well, face to neck, really – with the shirtless man from her bed. Gulping, she sheepishly looked up. "Hey, there."

He threw her pillow in her face and smirked at her shocked expression. "Moron."

The hazel eyed girl twitched. "That's how you wanna play now?"

He rolled his eyes at her and proceeded to walk to where his shirt laid on the floor.

"You're not coming out with me; I want to go clear my head."

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "I can't very well let you wander off alone," he growled. "Moron. Your leader is still around."

"He can't touch me anymore," she responded seriously, absentmindedly stroking her mark. "You'll know, right?"

He just stared at her. Did she really think he knew a damn thing about mates? She would know better than he would with her parents being mates, would she not? Letting out a sigh, he put his shirt on and grabbed her arm. "Don't be foolish."

"Can't help it. It's all your fault, you know." She smiled at his skeptic look. "Well, I wasn't foolish till I met you."

He scoffed, showing his disbelief, then followed her to the window which she opened.

"You can follow me on one condition," she decided, glancing over her shoulder at him. A tiny laugh left her lips at his curious expression. "You have to…see me." She nervously bit her lower lip at his raised eyebrow.

"Hn? We're mates, woman. I've seen you."

"No, no. I mean…" She sighed and looked away. "Never mind. I knew you wouldn't get it."

His eyes narrowed and his hand darted out to grab her chin. "Speak, woman."

"My name isn't 'woman'." She glared at him. "You can't even call your own mate by her name? Hmph. You're ridiculous!"

He released her and stepped back, scowling. "Moron."

She stuck out her tongue and darted out the window, knowing he would follow and not caring. Her legs burned as she pushed herself to go faster and faster. _Stupid fate_, she thought to herself, hands clenching tightly. A shout left her mouth as she was tackled sideways and fell to the ground, her tackler above her. She pursed her lips as she looked up at the crimson-eyed man. "What is it now?"

"Hn. You can't go very far, moron."

One of her eyebrows shot up. "And just why not?"

He stood and looked away from her, crossing his arms. Once she stood as well, he looked back at her. "I refuse to get sick again."

His sentence flicked a switch in her head and she started laughing at his expense. "Oh! I didn't think you believed in those old, silly stories! You're so funny!" Ignoring his angry look, she held her sides as she continued laughing. "Did you really think my parents spent every single second together?" She briefly thought of how sweet it would be to have him following her all the time but she pushed the thought aside, opting for the truth.

"Hn?" He grew more agitated every time her laughter increased at his expense. Mate or not, how _dare_ she laugh at him?

Her laughter faded slowly to spaced out giggles and she smiled widely at him. "Those stories are mere speculation. Of course we can spend time apart now that we're mated! Granted, we each will know when someone is approaching the other…" She paused, a thoughtful smile on her face as she looked skyward. "My parents never did tell me just how that worked, though…"

He blinked and took a step back, feeling…_foolish_. What was it about this woman that always made him feel like this? He crossed his arms and glared at the horizon, irritated. He really should have just killed them both when he had the chance…

"Hey, are you listening?" she asked softly, ducking into his line of vision. "I don't need you out here to protect me. You can go back to the hotel."

He stared blankly at her, not showing any sign of acknowledgement. No one had ever treated him like she did; it was so strange to him to have someone speak to him so sweetly – to look at him so innocently. For the first time in his long life, he met someone whom he had no power over.

And that made him uncomfortable.

"Wom—" He stopped himself and started again. "Hn. …Ayane…I will not leave you alone. You are mine. I will protect you."

Something caught in her throat and she bit her lower lip, looking away. "Don't say things you can't promise," she said lightly, trying to mask her sadness. She did not need someone else she cared for claiming they would protect her then die, leaving her all alone again. She looked at him again as he approached, touching her wrist. Her face warmed when she saw the taunting smirk she fell in love with.

"Don't say things that make you sound like a moron," he responded.

"Jerk!" she exclaimed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tight around his waist; he did not tense this time, but did not make any move to return the embrace. "Thank you…"

He studied the top of her head for a moment before taking her arms in his hands and slowly backing her away. When her questioning eyes met his, he touched her cheek. "See you?"

Her eyes widened, understanding washing over her. "I can't explain it, really. I want you to know me and, someday, I hope you let me know you."

"Hn? You said you know everything about me," he replied skeptically.

"I know your past, Hiei," she said softly, unsure of the lack of "-dono". "I don't know the way your past made you feel. That's what I want to show you." Her eyes took on a look of stoic determination. "I want you to see me." When she was greeted with a curious silence, a small, shy smile stretched across her face. "Do you think you'd be willing to go that far with me or have we already been too intimate?"

He glared at her and crossed his arms again. "Do what you want." She had challenged him, knowing he would not turn away from a challenge. He briefly wondered if she was getting too close to him but he pushed that away when she put her hands on either side of his face and brought him down to her, touching his forehead to hers. He vaguely registered her small cry this time as his Jagan glowed bright under its wrapping.

~*~*~Flashback~*~*~

_"She shouldn't even exist! Your very life is in danger!" Ayane recognized the voice as her mother's brother from where she hid around the corner. Her heart broke when she realized he was talking about her. "You should have gotten rid of her when you had the chance!"_

_A loud crack signaled her mother's hand crossing her uncle's face. A thick silence filled the air._

_"She is my _daughter_, brother – your niece. How dare you even think such terrible things? I can't believe you think I care what others think. I love her and I love her father." Ayane had never heard her mother's voice sound so cold before and it chilled her. "You are the weakest excuse for a man I've ever met. Our parents would have done the same."_

_"Our parents were fools," he seethed, standing and smacking his hands on the table. "I look back at their foolish, idealistic ways now and understand why they died! Bringing demons and angels together is stupid and would never happen!"_

_"Beken and I have made it just fine," Celestine responded softly, attempting to calm her brother._

_Ayane peeked around the corner in time to see her uncle spit on the floor and turn away to glare out the window. "Beken's rotted your mind, sister."_

_"He's my destined mate."_

_"And that's another thing! How dare you say your destined mate is a _demon_? You know that makes your daughter a freak, don't you?" He smacked his hand against the window, the glass shuttering under the force. His narrowed eyes darted to the reflection of Ayane. "No one will be able to love something like that."_

_She felt tears prick at her eyes but forced them back, urging herself to be strong like her mother who she noticed was shaking._

_"…How dare you… How dare you! Get out of my house right now!"_

_He turned, smiling cruelly. "I must have hit a nerve. You know I'm right, don't you?"_

_Celestine slowly stood, her face parallel to the ground. "Ayane is a wonderful girl with a great personality. She'll suffer, she'll be hurt, she'll be repeatedly knocked down." She paused and looked up, anger radiating off her. "She is my daughter, she is Beken's daughter, and she is strong. She is already a better angel than any of us, even with her demon blood in her. One day she will find love and one day you will bow down to her out of respect, brother. Until then, _get out of my house_!"_

_Ayane's uncle, scowling, stormed away, passing by Ayane as he did. He paused once, to glare at her and mutter "filthy hybrid", before he left the castle entirely._

_"Oh, Ayane…" Celestine sighed, on her knees beside her daughter. The beautiful woman wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter. "I wish I could protect you from cruel things like that, my darling."_

_The black haired girl looked into the hazel eyes that mirrored her own, a defiant look on her face. "He's stupid anyway!"_

_Celestine blinked, startled for a moment, before she started laughing and kissed the small girl's forehead. "Yes, little one, yes he is."_

_"Okaa-sama," Ayane started, thoughtful. "Okaa-sama, are there any others like me? Are there any more…uhm…" – she stopped to think of the word – "hybrids?" She watched her mother tear up and wondered if she had asked something wrong…again._

_Instead, the brown-haired woman smiled broadly. "I'm sure there are, darling, but you shouldn't think about such things. You are the only you and you are wonderful and so special to your father and I."_

_"Oh yeah! That's what I came down here for! When's Otou-sama coming home? I wanna show him what I've learned!" Ayane's eyes lit up as she looked excitedly at her mother, thinking of the little fireballs she had been practicing with earlier that day._

_"He'll be returning from his meeting with Lord Enma in a few hours, I expect," Celestine replied gently, eyes soft. She was flighty and easily distracted, just like her father. "Though I would love to see how your wings are progressing, my darling."_

_Ayane laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Well, they haven't gotten very far, okaa-sama… I've been working on my fire a lot."_

~*~*~Present~*~*~

Hiei pulled away from her slightly, merely breaking the connection. His eyes burned into hers and he grabbed her arm, bringing her closer. "Your uncle's a moron," he growled.

"My uncle's dead," she murmured, smiling softly.

"Hn."

A small laugh left her lips. "I never saw him again after the war, in any case. That doesn't mean much, but considering most of my mother's people are now gone…" She sighed and let him go. "Anyway, let's get back since my training time has been ruined," she said teasingly.

He smirked and lifted her into his arms bridal-style, silent as they approached the hotel. A crowd exiting the hotel caught his attention and he realized everyone must be headed to the new stadium at that point. He stole a glance at her; she seemed to be deep in thought as she studied his cloak.

"Drop the look," he warned.

"Hm?"

"We're going to the stadium. It's time to be serious."

She blinked up at him then nodded, allowing herself to slip from his hold. "I'll meet ya there then, ne?" When he gave her a curt nod, she grinned and kissed his cheek. "See ya around."

The fire-ice apparition watched her prance off, a small frown forming on his lips. There was something in the air he found himself unable to figure out.

"Do you feel it as well, Hiei?" Kurama asked from beside a nearby tree. He approached his friend when the latter gave a nod. "Yusuke has been trying to figure it out, but we've had no leads. Any ideas?"

"If I had any ideas," Hiei growled, "the problem would have been taken care of."

"Of course, of course." The redhead frowned and looked around. "I fear Lady Ayane may be in trouble."

Hiei sighed and shook his head. Why would she be safe, after all? Mukuro, her mother's side, any demons who knew what she was… Of course she would be in trouble. "Women are a pain, kit."

His companion laughed and nodded. "Yes they are. I think we should go meet up with Yusuke and the others. I'll see you there." He gave his friend a short wave and wandered off towards the stadium, his frown returning. Had he not been witness to their little scene in the woods, Kurama would not have been able to believe it. His friend was serious about protecting Ayane and, if anything were to go amiss at the tournament, all involved would suffer.

He briefly prayed for souls that could possibly cross Hiei's path if his mate was in any sort of danger…

* * *

Ayane: Kinda shorter than I wanted it to be, but I'm pretty happy with it! Anyway, letting you all know that from now on I'll have previews up on my profile page whenever I'm working on a chapter. (smiles)

Hiei: Hn.

Ayane: (glares) Also… I hope to have at least one chapter of one story up a week, whether it's this story, a different story, or even just an edited chapter of a story. I'll update on my profile page as I go so please pay attention! (winks)

* * *

**Super Serious Moment!**  
All right, look. This is very important to me. I have this friend, see. I met her when I went to college for a year (yeah, I'm a slacker). Anyway, this friend of mine is very, _very_ important to me - I even asked her to be my maid of honour! And I miss her very much. She was born less than six months before me...but she's forever 19... I went through a period after she took her own life not writing stories or being very emo while writing them. Anyway, I promised her mommy I'd spam our foundation's website so here it goes...

The Brittany Rebecca Helton (aka Bheltz) Memorial Foundation, Inc.'s website:  
bheltz[dot]com.

* * *

For **Hieidrkdragon3**...

_I__ SPEAK MY MIND, __so I__ MUST __be a bitch.  
__**I'm a GAY RIGHTS SUPPORTER, so I WILL go to hell.**  
__I wear SKIRTS a lot, so I MUST be a slut.  
__I WEAR BLACK, so I MUST be a goth or emo.  
__**I'm a WHITE GIRL, so I MUST be a nagging, steal-your-money kind of girlfriend.**  
__I'm NOT A VIRGIN, so I MUST be easy.  
__I'm a VEGETARIAN, so I MUST be a crazy political activist.  
__**I WEAR WHAT I WANT, so I MUST be a poser.**  
__I'm a FEMALE GAMER, so I MUST be ugly.  
__I'm a GIRL who actually EATS LUNCH, so I MUST be fat.  
__**I'm NOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, so I MUST be a loser.**  
__I'm YOUNG, so I MUST be naive.  
__I'm BI, so I MUST think every person I see is hot.  
__**I have ARTISTIC TALENT, so I MUST think little of those who don't.**  
__I don't like to be in a BIG GROUP, so I MUST be anti-social.  
__I have a DIFFERENT sense of HUMOR, so I MUST be crazy.  
__**I tell people OFF, so I MUST be an over controlling bitch.**  
__I'm DEFENSIVE, so I MUST be over controlling and a bitch.  
__I read Comics, so I MUST be a loser.  
__**I draw ANIME so I MUST be a freak.**  
__I am a FANGIRL so I MUST be a crazy, obsessed stalker.  
__I'm INTELLIGENT so I MUST be weak.  
__**I am AMERICAN so I MUST be obese, loud-mouthed and arrogant.**  
__I'm a YOUNG WRITER, so I MUST be emo.  
__I have a FAN CHARACTER, so I MUST be an annoying Mary-sue.__  
__**I like CARTOONS, so I MUST be IRRESPONSIBLE.**  
__I like READING, so I MUST be a LONER.  
__I am WICCAN, so I MUST be a SATANIST.  
__**I am a WITCH, so I MUST be and OLD HAG and fly on a broomstick.**  
__I love YAOI, so I MUST be GAY.  
__I'm a PERSON, so I MUST be LABELED  
__**I like GAMES, ANIME and COMICS, so I MUST be childish.**  
__I SPOT GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, so I MUST be a pedantic bastard.  
__I go to RENFAIRES, so I MUST talk weird, be a loser, and not be up with the times.  
__**I play VIDEO GAMES so I MUST be a LOSER.**  
__I LIKE TO BE MYSELF, so I MUST be cocky and arrogant.  
__I love RENT so I MUST be an emo lesbian with AIDS._


	18. Chapter 18

Ayane: Rawr!~ I only own OCs!

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P.S. "There is no one who does not have scars on his heart. If there were someone like that, he would be a shallow bastard." ~Hiei (we love you!)

* * *

Shout-outs: **MyLifeInWhole**: Thank you for saying so! (smiles) I felt Ayane and Hiei needed a bit more development in their relationship. Who better to describe Hiei's feelings than Kurama? Teehee. **middlekertz**: Ha! I really don't like Mukuro at all, but I'd rather make her OOC and be able to tolerate her than make her OOC and _completely_ despise her… And, shucks, I am _so_ not the best author ever! (blushes) **hikari-hime 01**: I'm glad you love it! (smiles) **Hieidrkdragon3**: As I've said, I give shout-outs to all who review! Teehee. And you're very welcome. I don't plan on stopping this story anytime soon, so no worries! (hides from teh ebil sword of doom)

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 18

Ayane forced herself to stare blindly at the fight in front of her, willing herself to ignore the glare coming from her team leader.

"Whore," Shou finally scoffed, looking away.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, ignoring the poke of Hiei's mind against hers. All she wanted was one minute to watch the fight between the two teams; whoever won would be the ones they fought next, after all. Why was she the only one who seemed to care about that?

"Don't listen to him," Hisashi whispered, kneeling down to her level. "He's just bitter 'cause he got turned down three times while you were gone."

"By the same girl!" Sai quipped.

Daisuke smiled and patted her head.

Ayane looked at the three and smiled; she had missed their company, even as she grew closer to the "Urameshi gang". Her eyes trailed back to the fight in time to see the final move of the winning team – Hitoshi, bored with his opponent after them not providing anymore of a challenge to him than the other two he single-handedly defeated, moved at a speed that rivaled Hiei's and appeared behind him, snapping his neck. She visibly winced and clutched her waist.

**_Why do you do that?_** Hiei found a little way in when she watched the final move.

She blinked and her eyes darted up to the box where she knew he sat with the others. **_Do what?_**

**_Hn._** There was an irritated pause. **_You grab your waist like you can protect yourself that way. Which is idiotic._**

Her mouth formed a small "o" and her hands fell from her waist as she stared up at him, a bit amazed that he had noticed. **_Not even Koenma has commented on that, you know…_** she told him softly. **_My mother used to do it whenever anyone would talk about something troublesome to her. I guess I just kind of subconsciously picked it up._**

There was silence in her mind for a good five minutes as the announcer named the victor and the rest of the outraged team members leaped into the ring, itching for a fight.

**_Moron…_**

**_Love you too_**, she teased, smiling faintly as she watched Hitoshi take the lives of the poor souls in the ring with one quick movement.

"The winner, by complete death, is Team Takeo!"

Ayane froze and her eyes trailed over the remainder of the team, all of whom had their faces covered with highly decorated masks. No, there was no way one of them was who she was thinking it was – he was dead and there was no way he would team up with demons regardless. Surely it was just a demon with the same name. The one named Takeo stepped forward to stand with his team and accept the win.

"Man, his energy signal's scary," Sai muttered.

Hisashi nodded, eyes narrowed. "Strangely familiar, though. Hm…"

_Shit_, she thought. "It's an angel," she growled, also feeling for the presence and knowing it to be her uncle's; her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Odd. I thought he was dead."

"They should all be dead," Shou scowled, nose turned up.

"Mm," Hisashi murmured noncommittally.

Ayane felt Sai's hand on her arm and she glanced at him, shaking her head. She knew the younger one had no idea what the war was or why everyone hated her mother's kind, but she did not need him jumping to her defense.

**_So, ah, maybe my uncle's not as dead as I thought_**, she laughed nervously, feeling her mate's mind jabbing at hers again.

**_You think so?_** he responded dryly.

She scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms, blocking him out. Somehow, keeping him from her thoughts had grown a lot more difficult since they became mates. "So now we see what this team's about," she said stiffly. "I'm going to retire for the day. See you all at the fight tomorrow!" She gave them all a tiny salute then walked into the hallway before letting out a puff of air. Why was that bastard alive after all the cruel things he put her mother through?

"I can't believe his feathers are all ruffled because of _you_," someone sneered from the shadows.

Ayane stopped and narrowed her eyes, looking to the voice. "Who are you?"

The owner of the voice stepped out and the taller woman glared down at Ayane. "Hiei," she explained simply, studying her.

"Hm? Oh… Oh! You must be Mukuro!" Her eyes widened and she bowed. "Meeting you is such an amazing opportunity! I have so many questions for you." She met the other woman's calculating stare and studied her in turn. Half of her face was covered with cloth and some glass piece that would have covered her eye. Under her face, Ayane winced at what looked like burn scars stretching down her neck.

Mukuro took another step towards her and frowned. "I expected more."

"I didn't. I can feel your power. It's kinda intimidating." The smaller girl smiled. "It's a bit odd though, meeting you here. I honestly didn't expect to run into you at all!"

A blue eye narrowed and her face turned to look at the end of the hallway. "Why, Hiei, I didn't expect you to join us."

"Leave her be, Mukuro," the fire-ice hybrid growled, approaching them.

"She wasn't going to hurt me…" Ayane muttered, crossing her arms. "I wanted to meet her anyway."

Hiei ignored her, stepping between the two to glare up at Mukuro. "Leave."

Mukuro tossed her head back and laughed. "Why should I listen to you?"

"If you touch her," he started icily enough to send a shiver down Ayane's back, "you will not last very long."

The hazel eyed girl touched his arm. "She can't hurt me…"

"Sounds like you're pretty confident."

She smiled back up at Mukuro. "I am! Hiei's been training me, after all."

Mukuro let a small smile escape. "She's gutsy, Hiei."

"Hn." Oh yes, because feigned indifference was always the way to go.

"She'll produce good heirs to take the throne hundreds of years from now, after you pass on."

Ayane choked on some air and doubled over. "H-heirs?" she squeaked, eyes wide. "We were only mated this week! That's too soon!" She knew she was bright red and cursed herself a bit. "And who are you to decide anything about heirs, hm? Th-that's our business!" She ignored Hiei's warning glare towards her.

"Considering Hiei will take my place after my death, young one, it is my business."

"…Oh." She was unaware Hiei had agreed to that at all and looked questioningly at him.

Hiei backed off only slightly, still wary of the scarred woman in front of them. "What do you want, Mukuro?" he asked in his normal bored tone.

"I want nothing at the moment…though I believe your mate wishes to speak with me." She turned away and beckoned. "Come, young one. You said you had questions for me?"

"Oh! Y-yes!" She went to rush past Hiei, but he grabbed her arm.

"Do you have a death wish?" he growled low, eyes narrowing at her. He had not expected her to beam up at him and peck his cheek; his grip faltered.

"As I've said time and again, you will know if I'm in danger." She tapped her mark and pulled her arm from him. "I promise I'll be careful."

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"…And you call me childish," she teased, walking away from his glare.

~*~*~2 hours later~*~*~

Ayane sat on the couch in Mukuro's suite, her cup of tea long since forgotten about. She felt hot tears burning at the corners of her eyes. She stared blindly at Mukuro's right arm which she had showed her two minutes in; she only just explained it five seconds ago.

"Mukuro-sama…I'm so sorry," she choked out.

The other woman blinked at her slowly. "Excuse me?" She let out a dry laugh. "You two certainly are different. I never even told Hiei about this yet and I certainly spent more time with him." She gave a thin smile at Ayane's tensing shoulders. "We didn't spend time together in that way. Now tell me about you, young one. I must decide how fit you are for heirs."

"Well, there's not much choice in the matter," the smaller girl mumbled. "We're stuck together. Fate's decided that for us."

"Hm?" There was an awkward, lengthy pause as realization dawned on Mukuro. "Oh, I see then… I don't doubt in those fairytales, however absurd they may seem. All the more reason to decide that you're acceptable, I suppose. Speak."

Ayane looked at her lap. "There's not much I can tell you," she said quietly. "For my own safety, my history stays hidden. Though I could tell you one thing that I suppose could tell you everything…" She paused, a minor hesitation. "I'm the daughter of Beken Shinata."

"Raizen's blood runs through you, hm?" Mukuro mused, her eyes widening a fraction of an inch. "So does angel blood then, ne? Interesting. I thought your energy signal was quite different from most. I've never met one before – feel lucky you're the first. Does Hiei know of this then?"

"Of course," she responded more defensively than she would have liked. "Are you not going to kill me because of this information?"

Mukuro waved a hand. "Why should I care about the descendant of creatures from a war long since past? I'm not petty. That war took many allies from me, but I am no worse for wear." As if she had made a fantastic joke, she laughed to herself.

Ayane took the time to think about Hiei and Mukuro. They were both terribly broken and seemed to work together, if only as partners. She wondered why he had not fallen in love with her.

Oh, yeah. Hiei's too badass to fall in love.

She smiled secretively to herself. "Anything else you'd like to know, Mukuro-sama?"

"Do you fight?"

"Not well," she responded sheepishly. She heard a small voice nagging at her about her first spar with Hiei – how she had impressed him after only thirty minutes. Not wishing to give too much away, though, to someone who she may go up against one day, she squashed the voice and smiled again.

"But you _can_ fight. Heirs with Hiei's blood won't need much of your fighting skill, but some would be nice. Kings are always in danger." Her face was thoughtful. "Any weaknesses? Diseases and such, I mean."

"Clean." _Better to keep all answers short_, she thought.

"That's good," Mukuro murmured, nodding slightly and staring at the far wall. "There's another angel around this tournament, isn't there? The energy signal is similar to yours, at the very least. Do you know him? I believe his team fought today. His name's Takeo." Her eyes ran over Ayane's face.

The smaller girl bit her lip and nodded. "He's my mother's brother. He and I don't quite see eye-to-eye…and I thought he was dead." Was there any harm in admitting this information to Mukuro? She did not believe so, but she had been wrong before…

"Your team fights against them tomorrow, correct?" She acknowledged Ayane's small nod. "Do you plan on defeating him yourself?"

She froze and stared incredulously up at Mukuro. Truthfully, she had thought of it briefly but chose to ignore the fleeting thought, thinking it better to avoid dwelling on it. "I'm not sure," she answered truthfully.

Silence filled the room for a few moments before both girls turned to look at the door. They knew Hiei was on the other side, waiting for something terrible to happen. Ayane sighed and shook her head.

"Hiei," Mukuro called out, "you have permission to enter. I have not harmed your mate."

There was a long pause before the door clicked open. Hiei's eyes trailed over Ayane's form, affirming Mukuro's words before they flicked over to Mukuro. "Enough questioning for one day, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, jaw set.

A flicker of amusement passed through Mukuro's eyes. "Why, Hiei, I've never known you to be so ridiculously protective."

His eyes narrowed and he was beside Ayane in an instant, grabbing her arm. He stared down at her when she ripped it from him.

"Don't be rude. Mukuro-sama and I were just talking. In fact, she was just telling me about the times you helped her take humans back to the Ningenkai! What did they used to call him when they got back?"

"An alien," Mukuro responded, a smirk stretching across her face.

Ayane giggled at Hiei's blank expression. "I'm learning all sorts of things! I'll be all right here, I promise. Nothing's happened to me since I got here half an hour ago!"

"It's been two hours, moron," Hiei muttered.

"What? No way!" Her eyes widened and she looked back to Mukuro. "I guess I _should_ actually get going, Mukuro-sama! Please excuse us!" She stood and bowed, following after Hiei. She paused mid-step when Mukuro's voice cut through the silence.

"Only one who shares the same blood can kill an angel, young one. Remember that when you go against him tomorrow. Remember that no demon could have killed your mother."

Ayane turned to look at the taller woman, eyes wide. "I didn't know that…" Her voice was faint.

"Hiei, make sure she gets back to her room safely," Mukuro said, ignoring Ayane's words. "I accept her as the bearer of your heirs. Let nothing happen to her."

The crimson eyed man nodded and took his mate by the wrist, pulling her along. He stopped at her room and turned to her, unable to ignore the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes anymore. He touched her cheek and brought her close.

"He killed her…" she whispered.

Hiei said nothing. He slid his master key out of his pocket and brought her inside her room, sitting her down on the bed. When she threw herself into his arms, he frowned. There had to be another way to kill an angel…

…because her tears made Hiei want to kill her uncle himself.

* * *

Ayane: …I like the way I made Mukuro. I never took the time to study her character, so I'm not sure which is more accurate…this chapter or chapter three. Whatever. I like her here more… I'd really rather not hate any of the cannon characters.

Hiei: Moron…

Ayane: Anyway, I gotta get going to an egg hunt with my little sister and brother. I don't even celebrate Easter… (facepalms) I love them, though. And I got $83 from my fiancé's family! I could start liking Easter…

Kurama: Oh, Lady Ayane… (laughs)

Ayane: Hope you enjoyed! Review kindly, please! (smiles)


	19. Chapter 19

Ayane: I grow weary of this job…

Hiei: Moron.

Kurama: Lady Ayane, why not just quit?

Ayane: I _need_ this job! Bah. I only own OCs.

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Shout-outs: **xChaoticxAngelx**: I'm _so_ excited for this chapter and the next one – you have no idea. I have next chapter all planned out already! (crazy eyes)

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 19

"Are you prepared for today?"

Ayane stared blankly up at Hiei as she tied her boots. "Of course I am."

He studied her as she returned to her work; she focused hard on every minute detail so as not to lose her concentration and crack into tiny pieces. He had stayed with her last night after she fell into a restless sleep and he had grown more agitated by the minute. How dare that angel hurt his mate in such a way?

A knock on the door tore his gaze from her and he walked to it, cracking it open. Through the sliver, he examined the visitor with cruel eyes. "She's dressing."

"I wanna see her," Yusuke's voice snapped through the crack.

"Urameshi-sama," Ayane said dully, "you can come in."

After a few tense seconds, Hiei let Yusuke through and the taller of the two walked over to Ayane, who sat on the floor, tying her other boot. "You look like you got hit by a truck," he laughed.

"Mm," she responded, acknowledging he spoke but not hearing him.

"So, uh, Koenma told me something interesting. Wanna hear it?"

"Sure." She had the same bored, lifeless tone as she readied herself to stand.

"Turns out we're related!" he exclaimed, watching her stop mid-motion. "Also turns out that you already knew this and didn't wanna tell me. So now that's all figured out…it's great to meet ya, Cousin!" He grinned cheekily and threw his hand out to her.

Ayane shook her head and let out a sigh, merely glancing at his hand. "Don't get too friendly there, Urameshi-sama. I don't need anything else changing my mind." Her dull tone had taken a dangerous lilt and she turned away, shutting her eyes. "I would appreciate it if I could be alone for a few minutes now." She took a moment to glance at Hiei. "Completely alone."

The two men hesitantly walked out and shut the door behind them, resting against the wall next to it. Silence reigned for a while before Yusuke cleared his throat and looked down at Hiei. "So what's her issue then?"

"Hn." Was it any of Yusuke's business, really?

"Listen, punk, I just found out she's my cousin and you mated with her without getting my blessing first. So spill. What's going on?" The brown eyed man was furious and anyone could hear the danger in his voice.

Hiei looked up at him, frowning slightly. "She will be killing her uncle today," he said bluntly, hoping to end the conversation; he needed to listen in on the room.

"What?" Of course, no such luck.

"Takeo is her uncle. He's a full angel. He can only be killed by someone of his own kind and bloodline." He paused, letting this information sink in, then finished with, "He killed her mother."

Yusuke's eyes narrowed. "Man, that's messed up…"

"Hn." Hiei nodded in agreement.

"How'd she learn all this?"

"Mukuro."

Yusuke stared at Hiei incredulously. "You let your girl meet up with your ex? Dude, you know _nothing_ about women!" he laughed. "I bet they talked about all sorts of things about you while you weren't around!"

"Hn." Hiei ignored the laughter of the other, lost in his own thoughts. A part of him knew Ayane would refuse to kill the last link to her heritage and he searched through his memories, trying to think of some way to kill an angel other than the way Mukuro had described.

The door creaked open and Ayane stepped out, shutting the door gently behind her. Gods, how she wanted to slam that door shut and split it in half… Her eyes darted over to Yusuke and Hiei and she nodded, acknowledging they existed, before turning sharply and walking away.

**_Stop_**, Hiei's voice cut through her mind, calm and daring her to disobey.

**_I have to meet my team_**, she responded. **_If you want something, you can catch up._**

"Hey, Yan, good luck on your match today, all right? I'm rootin' for ya," Yusuke called at her back.

She raised her hand slightly, showing she heard him, then felt her arm being grabbed by her mate. "Please don't do this," she mumbled, looking away from him.

"Hn." He paused and let her arm drop. "You _must_ kill him today. Otherwise, you and I both know he will come after you."

"Yeah. I've been warned," she sighed, not even attempting to sound sarcastic. Even now, she felt completely drained. She did not remember falling asleep last night and a part of her insisted she had gotten no sleep. It had been hard for her to hear that her uncle had killed his own sister – her mother – and possibly the rest of the angels, but it was harder for her to accept that she was the only one who had a chance of defeating him."I know I need to do this."

He continued studying her for a moment before grabbing her by the waist and leading her down a deserted corridor, despite her loud protests. With a sigh, he pressed her against the wall and stared down at her as she quieted. When she opened her mouth once more, he took her lips in his and smirked into her tiny gasp of surprise.

**_Know this_**, he said, feeling her shiver at his words in her head, **_I will not let him break you. I am the only one allowed to break you._**

Ayane smiled at his protective tone and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling all the dread that filled her moments before melt away. **_Of course._**

He touched her chin and pulled away, his smirk still in place. "Hn. I'll watch your fight and step in if needed." **_I won't let you die._**

"Hiei…" She scrunched up her nose and giggled. "I never planned on dying! I'm so glad you have so much confidence in me!"

He scoffed and backed away. "Moron."

"Thank you," she said, quiet and serious. "It means a lot to me, really."

His smirk vanished completely and he nodded, mute so as to not say anything else to incriminate himself. He did not want to hurt her, but he was not normally like this… "Time to go to your fight," he muttered, turning away.

"Right!" she exclaimed, adamant about not showing him how terrified of the fight she truly was. "You gonna walk me?" She smiled gently at his skeptical expression. "Yeah, yeah," she teased, walking past him. Her eyes widened when he grabbed her forearm and pulled her back to him, bringing her instep with him. She turned her surprised gaze to look up at him, almost pulling away.

"Moron, I'm not going to let you wander off." His grip loosened so it was more comfortable for her. He nearly feared what might happen if he let her go, even if just for a brief moment. His own expression was soon coated with surprise when she pulled herself from his grasp and wrapped her arms around one of his. "…What do you think you're doing?"

"Walking with you," she answered simply, beaming up at him. She knew he could hear her heart beating furiously and she tried to quell the flipping of her stomach.

"…Hn." He chose not to pull away when she smiled up at him. He could not explain it, even to himself, but her smile made him feel all right with everything that was going on. She was his and he wanted to take care of her.

Was it love? No, of course not. Love required emotional attachment and caring for the other in ways that he felt himself incapable of.

"You're thinking again," she murmured, studying him.

"You're speaking again."

"Are you teasing me?" she asked, feigning shock. "I never expected _that_!"

He fought back the smirk that tried to show at the corner of his mouth. "Moron."

"You're so strange," she laughed, letting her arms slide away from his; he would not admit he missed the warmth. She stretched her arms above her head and stopped, turning to him as they approached the entrance to the stadium. "I'll be all right," she assured him, crossing her arms behind her head. "After all, I need to stick around to take care of you. Not many people will take the time to understand you so they'll get sick of you and— Hey! You could have hurt me!" she whined, blocking his punch.

He glared down at her. "Just don't die." His glare lessened when she dove forward and kissed him lightly.

"I promise." With a small wave, she hurried through the bleachers and up to the platform where the announcer was close to calling her team out. "I'm here!" she exclaimed, waving. "I'm sorry! I got held up!"

"Better have been good," Shou grumbled.

"Oh, it was," she retorted, smirking and sticking her nose up at him.

"Ew!" Sai groaned, pretending to gag at her comment.

Ayane smiled and only half-listened to the announcer saying their team was set to go. Her eyes trailed over to the hooded man she knew as her uncle and she set her jaw, forcing herself to not go cold. "Ojii-san," she muttered.

"My dear niece," he responded in his sarcastic, demeaning tone. Her teammates tensed and she felt Shou's glare on her again. "How have you been since your parents' deaths?"

"You mean murders?" she ground out, eyes narrowing. Show no fear; cover all fear with unbridled hatred. "I wasn't too bad until I found out yesterday the only way to kill an angel."

His dark laughter pierced through her and he looked up so she could see his empty, black eyes through his hood. "You have your mother's eyes, you know."

"So I've been told."

"Are we, erm, ready to begin?" the announcer squeaked, looking between the two.

Shou stepped up, looking down at Takeo menacingly. "I'll start with your head then end it all with hers." He jerked his thumb in Ayane's direction; she held back the giggle in her throat when Hiei growled through her mind. "Let's end this." He spun around and stalked off the silent platform with Daisuke, Hisashi, Sai, and Ayane following along.

"Sorry, Shou-san," she started, dropping the special honorific he demanded she used, "but Takeo is mine. You can't kill him; I'm the only one with a chance, and it's not even a very good one." She ignored his glare and continued, "Angels can only die at the hands of a related angel, you see, so you wouldn't stand a chance."

Hisashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Are you positive you can kill him, Ayane-chan?" he asked, seemingly not upset by the news that she was at least part angel.

"I…" She paused and frowned, eyes falling to the ground. "I hope so."

"So what you're saying," Shou growled, "is that, if he dies, you will not. Ever."

"If he is, in fact, the last angel, yeah." She shrugged, still refusing to look at him. "It's not like I did anything to you, anyway, you know. I was a child when the war happened. I lost my own parents."

Sai touched her arm. "I'm up first. Wish me luck, hm?" he murmured, eyeing up his opponent.

"You don't need luck," she responded, also taking in the taller demon. "Just remember: the bigger they are…"

"…the harder they fall," he laughed, clasping his hands behind his back and taking a leap across the ground, landing in front of his opponent. Ayane was a bit surprised at this, as he had never been able to do that before, but why would they not train while she was off, saving some humans?

Daisuke placed a hand on her head and grinned down at her, tousling her hair. Okay, none of them were mad at her except for Shou; that made her feel one hundred times better. She smiled back and swatted at his hand.

"Name's Yuuto. What's up?" the voice coming from the cloak sounded young and his relaxed stance and walk made him seem over confident, which fighters know is never a good thing to be. "Yo, can we start the fight now? It'll be done in a couple of seconds. His lame ass shadows won't affect me any."

"All right, then. Yuuto versus Sai…begin!"

Ayane swore she merely blinked once before Sai was pinned to the ground, a dagger at his throat. Her jaw clenched when she watched a trickle of blood trail to the stadium.

"Well, this is boring…" Yuuto muttered, frowning. He adjusting the dagger so it the handle was between his fingers, the point at Sai's throat. "Any last words, loser?"

"Yeah, actually," Sai's voice came from the other side of the platform; Yuuto looked over as he appeared out of a shadow caused by a passing cloud. "I'm over here, _loser_."

Yuuto looked back down at the Sai he had pinned to the ground only to see him slowly sink into the platform beneath them, smirking. "You little—"

"Let's see your face then, hm?" another Sai taunted, behind his opponent. In one swift movement, he reached up and tore the hood off Yuuto's cloak. Dark green hair tumbled out, shading his matching eyes. He did, in fact, look young for a demon. "Great! Now we're on equal footing!"

"Hardly," Yuuto scoffed, spinning and swinging at Sai, only to watch him disappear into the ground yet again.

"Too slow," another Sai laughed from the center of the platform. Ayane watched on in sheer amazement. He had definitely either been hiding this power or he just developed it while she was away; something told her it was a combination of the two. "I guess it's time to actually get serious," the third – or fourth – Sai said, frowning. He looked to the ground, shutting his eyes, and whispered, "Shadow Needles."

_More like spears_, she thought, biting her lip at the sharp, dark sticks poking through Yuuto's body. Some of them supported him, helping him stand up so he would not fall and be counted out. Her eyes trailed to the only Sai left on the platform – the real one, she hoped – as he approached his opponent, eyes narrowed.

"Your leader hurt my sister," he growled and Ayane's eyes widened. "You're lucky I'm not going to kill you – I believe you're innocent. I believe you had no knowledge of a murderous angel being on your team."

Yuuto started laughing, blood trickling down his chin. "No knowledge? Are you that much of a moron?"

"See…you shouldn't have said that…" Sai murmured, shaking his head with closed eyes. "Now I'll have to kill you." He opened his eyes and said, "Shadow Pinwheels." In an instant, Yuuto's body parts were separated and sent spiraling around the stadium, much to the disgust of the spectators. Ayane watched a section of arm head for her and barely acknowledged Daisuke kicking it out of the way; she was in shock that Sai had actually _killed_ someone…

"And the winner of the first match is Team Shou!"

Sai walked hesitantly up to Ayane and poked her cheek. "Your face is gonna freeze like that, y'know."

"I… Yeah." She smiled faintly at him then brought her attention back to the platform when Takeo took his place and tore off his cloak. Her uncle looked exactly as he always had – pale blond with dark, black eyes and light skin. She took a breath and stepped mechanically forward.

* * *

Ayane: Sorry! I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow or Sunday to make up for not having this done last weekend! Please review! (smiles) By the way! I drew Hiei and Ayane! It's not very good, but it's up on DA. jaganshiayane Check it.


	20. Chapter 20

Ayane: Wow… Chapter 20 already! Dude. I totally have this chapter planned out!

(Kurama laughs)

Ayane: Only own OCs! So…basically…I own 90% of this chapter! Hahaha!

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Shout-outs: **xChaoticxAngelx**: Love you, Cousin... And _I_ need sleep. Hung out with the munchkins from 7:45 on today! **kungfupandapear**: I know, I know. I hate cliffhangers when I'm reading...but they're so much fun to write! **wolvesrain17**: I found you on DA! (is creepy) **MyLifeInWhole**: Up-dated! Up-dated! Hahaha!

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 20

"Oh, Ayane…" Takeo sighed, smiling cruelly down at her. He had always been just shy of her father's height. "I fear our time together will be cut short."

She scrunched up her nose. "Ew, uncle, you need a breath mint. I forgot about your bad hygiene!" In the back of her mind, she knew Yusuke would be in the box, laughing at that off colour comment. At her uncle's growl, she snapped to attention.

"Still no respect for your elders, I see. That's why your parents are dead now, you know. No respect for authority."

"Tell me why," she hissed through gritted teeth, "you killed my mother."

"I just did."

"Erm, you two can start the fight at any time now…"

Ayane did not look away from her uncle, though he darted a glare over to the announcer. _Now_. She slid her hidden kunai out of her glove and threw her arm up only to slice air.

"Too slow," Takeo laughed behind her. "You really haven't gotten any better, have you, Child?" His hands grabbed either side of her head and she went rigid, but remained standing. "Her mind will be gone in about, oh, twenty minutes. For now, we sit and watch her struggle with memories from my own head."

Crimson eyes narrowed as they watched their owner's mate go stiff. Under his bandana glowed a pale purple light.

"You can't interfere, Hiei," Kurama murmured next to him. "This is Lady Ayane's fight. You need to stay back."

"I'll resign from the damn tournament," he growled in response, "but I won't lose her."

_"Sister, how nice of you to join me," Takeo drawled, a cruel smile crossing his face as her parents entered the warehouse. The air around him alone was sparking with dangerous energy; Ayane tried to call out to them but found her voice gone and watched helplessly as her parents continued to near him._

_"You said you had our daughter," Beken gasped, holding his side which had been sliced through an hour prior to getting the message through a bird demon._

_Takeo turned his glare to Beken. "I wasn't speaking to _you_, demon."_

_"Brother, where is my daughter? She was supposed to be safe from this. How could you bring your own niece into this fight?" Celestine asked, growing angrier with every word._

_"Relax, dear sister. You managed to hide her well as even I can't locate her." It seemed to hurt his pride to admit such a thing, much to Ayane's pleasure. "Do you know why this war started?" he asked suddenly, picking at his fingernails. When he was greeted by silence save Beken's labored breathing, he looked back up. "I started this war. The elders were going to condone your…_embarrassing _situation with this filth." He jerked his chin towards Beken. "They were going to accept that dirty hybrid as one of us – can you believe that?" He grew more and more furious, his eyes wide and wild. "How dare they think to do something so utterly disrespectful to our name!"_

_"What did you do?" Celestine exclaimed, shocked at her brother's deep hatred._

_"It doesn't take much to intercept a few messengers, change those messages – that sort of thing," he said in an offhanded way, brushing her off. "It doesn't matter much how I did it, only that everything is better now. Well." He paused, studying the way Beken held onto Celestine for support. "I suppose I shouldn't say everything, should I?" he sneered._

_Celestine's eyes grew hard and she stared up at her brother. "And just what do you think you could possibly do to us?"_

_"This." He snapped and a few younger angels slid out from behind boxes, grabbing the couple and holding them apart from each other. Ayane reached out for her mother and let out a cry of frustration when her hands slipped through her mother's arm. "See, dear sister, I can't have this getting out until we take control. So, sadly, you both will have to be silenced."_

_"Don't you touch her!" Beken cried out, fighting against the other angels._

_Takeo raised his eyebrows and looked over at Beken. "How touching," he sneered._

_Beken ignored his mate's brother and looked at Celestine. "You're off to a better start than I am, Love. You must protect Ayane." His expression told her that he would do his best to follow after her but, if it came down to it, she should go as far as she could._

_"No one will protect that creature!" Takeo roared, stepping between the two. His hand shot out and wrapped around Celestine's throat; her eyes widened. "Now, sister, watch as your 'precious' Beken is destroyed limb by limb!" He nodded to one of the angels who pulled a sharp sword out of its sheath and held it to Beken's right shoulder for a moment before he brought it up and back down swiftly, severing the arm from Beken's body. Celestine cried out as Beken gritted his teeth, trying his damnedest to not show any pain; she had always known him to try his best to be strong…she looked forward to the day when she would be as strong as him._

_"Leave him alone!" her mother shouted, eyes darkening as she used all her strength to fling the angels holding her aside. She crossed her arms against her chest, shut her eyes, and mumbled, "Gods, lend me your strength." For the first time since she could remember, Ayane watched her mother's wings tear themselves free from her shoulder blades. She found herself entranced with the soft, white feathers and touched her own shoulders self-consciously._

_Beken gasped through his pain. "Celestine!"_

_"I've been waiting for this day, sister," Takeo laughed, grabbing the sword from the angel that had sliced off her father's arm. He, too, crossed his arms across his chest and said a tiny prayer before his wings unfurled themselves. Ayane did not think they fit her uncle at all._

_"You don't deserve those," Celestine growled and Ayane was pleased her mother agreed with her assessment._

_Takeo threw his head back and laughed. "I'm not the traitor, sister!" he shouted before lunging at her._

_Ayane clutched her head when a sharp pain shot through it. _What was that about?_ she wondered as it subsided. When she trained her eyes back on the fight, she found her vision blurry and she frowned._

**…hear me?**_ a familiar voice called to her._

**Hiei! Hiei, what are you doing? Where are you?** _She heard his relieved sigh in her head and smiled lightly, despite herself. _**My mother… I need to stay.** _There was silence and she grabbed her waist, narrowing her eyes back at the fight in an attempt to clear her vision. She sensed Hiei exit her mind and watched the fight clear._

Mother!_ she tried to call out, rushing forward as her mother panted on her knees on the ground. Tears fought at the corners of her eyes; she knew she could not save her… She did not want to see this happening to her parents. A small part of her mind insisted it was all a bad dream – it had to be._

_"You won't…get away with…this," Celestine panted, eyes narrowed._

_Takeo grinned. "I don't need to, really. I just need to destroy all of you. The best way would be to take your wings and throw you to the demons so they can take care of you on their own, I think."_

_"You wouldn't!" Celestine gasped, eyes wide. "You can't! That's just a story!"_

_"That's what the elders said, too," he laughed._

**Ayane, I need you,**_ Hiei's voice cut over the scene again. _**Moron, don't watch this!**

_She blinked hard, trying to clear her mind. _**Hiei…?**

**Hn… Follow my voice…**

She fought against wincing when the bright sun hit her eyes, just as Hiei warned her. Stay still, twitch occasionally, let everyone but him think she was still under the spell. She stared blankly at the far wall of the stadium, formulating a plan.

**_Wanna see something cool, Hiei?_** she murmured, twitching her arms in preparation.

His warm chuckle filled her mind and relaxed her. **_Just kill him, moron._**

_Gods…lend me your strength_, she willed, hoping they heard her. _I need you now._ She felt a stirring around her shoulder blades and, before she could pause to reflect, she crossed her arms over her chest and grabbed her shoulders, gritting her teeth at the fierce ripping sound coming from her back.

"You can still fight back, hm?" Takeo asked, amused as he stood from his sitting position a few feet away on the platform.

She spread her black, tainted wings out behind her; she had not seen them since she was a child and vaguely recalled the explanation her mother had given her for why her wings were the opposite of her friends'. "My mother taught me to never give up." Her eyes darkened and she felt her body warm with the fire inherited from her father – the flames she always showed off as a small child. "My father taught me to fight with everything I had." Her eyes narrowed and she slid her katana out of its sheath. "You, uncle, have now taught me one thing."

"And what's that?" he asked, bored.

"To destroy whatever gets in my way," she growled, disappearing only to appear again immediately behind him; she felt his surprise coming off him in waves. "Try to provide a little bit of a challenge, would you?" She jumped up and kicked his back, causing him to fall forward and land on his hands and knees before jumping over him and glancing down at him. "My mother was right when she said one day you'd bow down to me…" she muttered, spitting at him.

"You wretch!" he snapped, jumping up and reaching to cross his arms.

"Yes, you call upon your wings, uncle. I'd _love_ to inflict the same pain on you that you inflicted upon my mother!" Her eyes flickered cruelly as his arms dropped. "You miserable little man…"

His eyes narrowed and he brought his arms back up, calling his own wings out; Ayane faltered at the tattered feathers.

"Uncle…what's happened to your beautiful feathers?" she whispered, eyes wide.

His expression turned into a sneer. "None of your damn business, you filthy hybrid."

"I'm worried about you and you insult me?" she murmured, ignoring the bristling coming from all directions; those people were the people she loved, those people were her family. "Why must you always be so blindly hateful? Would it anger you more, uncle, if you found out that I, too, have found my destined mate to be a demon? Would that anger make you a better fighter, uncle?"

"You're as disgusting as your mother," Takeo hissed.

"The only disgusting one between the three of us has always been you," she remarked, her grip changing on her katana handle. "Now, uncle, it's time to end this, I suppose." With a small shrug, she beat her wings hard against the ground, taking off until she was just a small dot against the sky to the spectators below.

"You think that will stop me?" her uncle shouted, flying up after her.

She narrowed her eyes again. Of course she had not thought flying up would stop him from coming after her – that would be stupid. Her goal at the moment was to keep everyone down there safe. She had briefly seen the fight between Takeo and her mother – two angels – and did not want anyone else getting hurt during the insanity.

Especially not Hiei.

"Are you just going to talk?" she asked.

He glared and hurled himself through the air towards her, arms outstretched and hands motioning to strangle her.

"Too slow," she whispered from behind him, digging her katana through him till her hilt hit his back. "You're family, so I'll be gracious to you despite how terrible you were to my own parents." She twisted her katana and clenched her teeth at the choked sound that left him. "I'll be kind enough to let you surrender and forfeit, uncle."

"Yeah…right!" he coughed.

She frowned and tore her katana out of him, gliding backwards and sheathing it. "You really should take that deal. I haven't been in this form in many years and I've gotten much stronger since then. I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to."

"Like you could," he growled, turning to face her and wiping the blood off his chin with the back of his hand. "Face it, hybrid, you're still weak. You can't best me!" He lunged for her and, yet again, she easily avoided him.

"Uncle, you're not thinking clearly. Please don't rush blindly into this." She swooped under him and made her way behind him again, this time grabbing his wings and immobilizing him. "I have people I want to protect. I can't let you get in the way of my life, uncle." Her tone was soft and hesitant. "I'll ask you again to accept my offer."

He scoffed and turned his head to glare at her over his shoulder. "I would never give in to such a brainless request."

"Uncle Takeo…" she sighed, gripping his wings tighter. "Please believe me when I tell you how sorry I am." Her palms lit up, her demon fire coursing through her body and singeing his wings.

"You wretch! Stop it!" He tried to reach her but she was far enough away to avoid the scratching of her face.

The dark-haired girl held tight to Takeo's permanently injured wings and flew higher with him then swiftly changed directions and brought her wings close to her back so they faced the ground in a nose dive. She pushed his shouts to the back of her mind and narrowed her eyes at the ground below them.

_3…2… Now!_ Less than two feet from the ground, she shoved him with all her strength and brought herself up so she flew parallel to the ground. After a moment, she pulled up again and landed softly on her feet on the platform. Part of her acknowledged the stunned silence surrounding her erupt into cheers, another part of her acknowledged Takeo's energy signal fade slowly then completely disappear and wondered what happened, and yet another part of her acknowledged the figure that hurried towards her as she felt her knees give out from under her, unable to support her weight any longer. Why did that fight take so much out of her? She felt so pathetic…

Her vision was blurred as she looked into the red eyes of the person who caught her as she collapsed. She knew him, she thought, and she gave him a small smile before the world around her disappeared.

* * *

Ayane: I should have worked on that fight scene more, I think. Or explained her fluidness more. I don't know. Anyways, chapter 20 is up on time! w00t! I'm gonna go work on my original story now, I think. Or go finish my drawing of angel-Ayane. Who knows? It's my four fucking year anniversary! I can do what I want! (grins)


	21. Chapter 21

Ayane: …I freaking love my readers… (tears up slightly) E-excuse me…

Hiei: Moron.

Kurama: Lady Ayane only owns OCs. (sweat drops)

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Shout-outs: **julen**: Haha, thank you! I tried. (smiles) **MyLifeInWhole**: You are SO SWEET! (massive hug) **middlekertz**: I'm so glad you think so! **xChaoticxAngelx**: You reviewed on Facebook, cheater! (sticks tongue out) I'm super glad you liked the chapter!

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**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 21

"Her mind was stressed due to the memories, then there was the physical strain when she summoned her wings," a soft voice Ayane swore she recognized explained calmly. "She'll be all right; there's nothing to worry about."

"We still haven't found her uncle's body, though," a louder, harsher voice snapped.

There was some quiet grumbling in the distance before a voice she recognized as her godfather, Koenma, spoke, "I have eyes searching for him everywhere, Yusuke. Until we find him, I trust Hiei will protect her?"

"Hn." This voice came from right beside her and she felt herself relax considerably. "I don't understand why you're asking such a stupid question."

"She's my goddaughter and she apparently watched her parents' deaths. Of course I'll worry about her," Koenma responded defensively.

_I don't understand…_ she thought, not sure if her frown was reaching her face. _Wait, they couldn't find Takeo? Oh, gods…_ Panic began to overtake her.

**_You won't be harmed_**, the close voice echoed in her head. **_No one will touch you_**.

**_Hiei…_** she whispered, suddenly feeling the need to bury herself in his arms.

**_Sleep now_**, he said, almost gentle.

She tried to nod and almost felt a yawn leave her lips as silence filled her again.

~*~*~The Guys~*~*~

"She's fallen back asleep," Hiei spoke, still leaning against the wall by her head with his eyes shut. The bright lights of the Spirit Realm hospital room irritated him.

Koenma frowned. "How much did she hear?"

Hiei cracked an eye open to stare at him like he was a moron then shook his head and shut his eye again. "Kurama speaking of her condition to begin with, as far as I was able to tell." He left out speaking to her intentionally; he really did not need any more shit from them, to put it a nice way. He felt Kurama eyeing him amusedly and ignored it.

"Well, what are we going to do when she finally wakes up then?" Yusuke asked with a small frown on his face as he stared at his cousin.

"Tell her the truth, Urameshi," Kuwabara answered, giving him a "duh" face.

Hiei stood silently, ignoring the bickering while he waited for the group to leave. He had felt her desire to be held and he was not going to ignore his own want to pull her to him and not let her go. He needed to make sure she was still there – that she was not going anywhere.

"Hiei, we're headed out now," Kurama said softly, pausing in the doorway after the other guys had walked out. "We'll see you tomorrow." He did not wait for a nonexistent response from Hiei before walking out and shutting the door behind him, making an obvious show of locking it from the inside.

The fire-ice hybrid glanced down at his mate for a long moment, taking in her peaceful breathing and fluttering of her eyelids every so often. In one quick movement, he laid next to her and took her into his arms, a small growl leaving him. One wrong move, and she could have been lost to him.

"Moron," he muttered into her hair. He felt her stir and let her move away a bit.

"Hey," she said sleepily, blinking at him.

He gritted his teeth, putting on an angry face, before grabbing her and pulling her back to him. "You fool," he growled.

"I'm all right!" she exclaimed, muffled against his chest. She squirmed away again. "So how'd my team do after I passed out?"

"Hn. They lost."

"…Oh. Damn. How are they all doing?" She was completely devastated; they had gotten so far and then it was just over?

He stared blankly at her before shrugging. "The shadow demon is around with that cat. The others left after the tournament."

"After…? The tournament's over?" she exclaimed, eyes wide. Her thoughts spun around wildly in her head when he gave her a small nod. "Oh, that's just great! How long have I been out?"

"A week."

She rolled onto her back and glared up at the ceiling. "So I missed everything… I bet you think I'm such a weakling." She groaned and shut her eyes. "I can't believe I passed out."

"Stop being a moron," he responded, arching a brow at her. He pulled her back to him and smirked at her tiny gasp. His nose nuzzled her neck and he shut his eyes. It was crazy to think that only a week prior, she had been carried from the platform to her room by him while slowly nursed back to health by Kurama.

It took a while for it to click in her mind that her mate had actually been worried for her safety. Once she put it together, though, she pushed herself against him and clung tightly to his shirt. "Hiei…" she whispered, looking up and kissing his chin. The instant he took her lips in his, she melted into the kiss.

He was on top of her in seconds, teeth dragging down her neck. She whimpered and arched against him, biting down on her tongue.

"Hiei," she murmured, shutting her eyes.

**_You could have died, moron_**, he growled, pinning her arms to the bed.

"I'm sorry." A small cry left her lips when he rocked his hips into hers. "Oh…!" She clenched her hands into fists and shivered against him. "Please…?"

He pulled back and studied her faint blush, smirking. "Hn? Please what?"

"Don't tease," she whimpered, looking up at him. She struggled in his grip and, when he released her, she reached up and pulled at his shirt, hastily pulling the black cloth off him. A tiny moan left her when he, in turn, slid his hands under her shirt and lift it up over her head. He bit softly on the flesh not hidden by her bra, listening to her sharp intake of breath. "Hiei…?" she breathed.

"Hn?" He lazily trailed his hand up her side, making her shiver more.

"…I love you…" Her heartbeat sped up and she felt her face grow warm when he paused his ministrations and looked up at her, calculating. "I…" she trailed off, wishing she could shrink away into her bed.

He shifted his weight to one arm and touched her cheek hesitantly with his free hand. "I can't say I understand what you mean by 'love'," he said slowly, searching her face for signs of hurt. "That word means nothing to me." He almost bit back on his tongue but noticed her small, understanding smile.

"I'll show you," she responded softly, sliding her hands up to lie gently on either side of his face. She pulled his face to hers with little resistance from him and pressed her forehead to his, shutting her eyes.

Hiei stared down at her peaceful face and touched his nose to hers as he lost himself in her thoughts and feelings. Arms wound their way around his neck and brought him close as he shut his eyes.

The feelings bombarding him all but suffocated him: some he recognized, some he did not. He searched around for her, finding himself in the same dark area of her mind where they had been when he first intruded in her mind – a time that seemed so far away now.

**_I'm over here_**, she whispered from somewhere behind him; she giggled when he tensed as she put her hands over his eyes. **_There's nothing to worry about here_**.

**_Why are we here?_** He pulled her hands from his eyes and glanced at her questioningly over his shoulder. **_There's nothing here._**

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head on his back. **_That's why I brought you to this place. There doesn't have to be anything, Hiei. I don't want anyone or anything but you._**

**_Why do you talk that way?_** he growled, pressing his hands against hers. He grew irritated every time she spoke that way, as if he was special and the only thing keeping her alive. If they had never met, where would she have ended up? He hated asking himself questions that he told himself he should not care about in the least and, more so, hated the fact that he had no answers for those questions.

What was with this woman?

**_Because it's the truth._** A sigh left her and she shook her head. **_I can't teach you, Hiei. Love is…complicated. It's not something one can learn to feel._** She kissed the back of his ear. **_I can try to explain how you make me feel, if you'd like._**

After a moment of thought, he brought her around to face him and nodded. Maybe his own actions would start to make more sense. **_I'm curious._**

She felt her face grow warm and she smiled. **_I'll do my best!_** Chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip, she took a breath. **_Well…_** She took his hand in hers and pressed her lips lightly to his palm, feeling tingles in her lips. As she thought, she slowly stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his, loving the electric sensations that ran through her body. **_…Did you feel that?_**

His eyes met hers and she knew the moment he looked quickly away that he had felt it as strongly as she had. He grew agitated at the smile that lit upon her face. **_Hn?_**

Her eyes lit up and her smile softened; even if he had yet to understand what or why he was feeling, it was wonderful to know that he still felt the same way she did. That was something, she feared, that he would never understand about love.**_ You don't have to tell me, as long as I know_**, she mumbled, bringing his face back down to meet hers. The moment their lips touched again, she felt him pull them from her mind. Her eyes met his and she smiled lightly, her lips still tingling.

"Moron," he muttered, lips brushing against hers.

A giggled escaped her at that and she touched his cheek. "So what do we do now?" she asked faux-innocently, knowing full well their situation before they entered her mind.

"Hn…" he grunted, smirking himself. His mouth found the exposed portion of her breast once more and he reached underneath her, managing to rid her of her bra on the first attempt; he reveled in the squeak that left her. Changing course, he twirled his tongue around the peak of her breast, teasing her more.

" H-Hiei…" she stuttered, clutching at the sheets beneath her. It made her happy to think that he truly missed her company, though a small part of her nagged that it was only this part he actually missed. He had felt the electricity when she kissed his lips, right? There was no way he had not worried about her and he did not care. With that thought in mind and his mouth hungrily attacking her flesh, she squashed the negative little voice and lost herself in the feeling.

Hiei's mind, also, was arguing about the woman that lay below him. Part of him hated her for convincing him that he cared even the slightest bit while the other part wanted to take her into his own mind and share everything with her. The latter part of his mind decided to waltz its way in when she spoke of wanting to know how he felt during his experiences. Did she really want to know such terrible things? Did she really want to "see" him, as she called it?

He pulled back, letting the increasingly obnoxious voice surpass the angry, hateful one and studied her breathless, confused expression.

"…This is stupid," he muttered before pressing his forehead to hers, bringing her to the first semi-happy event in his life: the bandits taking him in. Why had he not started her off with a sadder, angrier memory? He was unable to answer that question, too. Stupid woman…

_"So you can't take the stone from him?"_

_"Nah, and I don't want to try anymore. He's got a dangerous look in his eyes, boss."_

_Infant Hiei studied the group of large men through his wide, curious eyes. He well understood what the group was saying; his gem was special, they wanted to sell it, he was a "terrifying little brat"…but a part of him remained confused. Who were these people exactly? Why had they picked him up and carried him all the way back here?_

_Why did that woman drop him?_

_Why was that other woman screaming and crying?_

_He blinked once, to show he was still alive and still watching them carefully, though he was, in truth, more than a little distracted. He was not thinking about the group in front of him and, truthfully, he had stopped listening to them as well. What was the point? They had repeated the same stupid things over and over._

_"He's a runt, eh?" the group leader muttered, standing and walking over to the bundle. "What say we get him out of these bindings? Can't be too comfortable for the little guy."_

_When the man reached to free him from the bundle, Hiei opened his mouth to give him a warning bite. That caused the man to pause mid-motion and look down at him sternly; Hiei shut his mouth slowly, focusing on the older man._

_"See? He's not too bad. Let 'im keep the necklace; one this little, we'll have enough time to train him up properly."_

_"Whatever you say, boss," the other man sighed, resting in his seat and eyeing Hiei with wary eyes. Hiei, in turn, kept eye contact with the other man until the lesser of the two looked away, unnerved. A small smile of triumph formed on his lips._

_"I think he likes me," the leader laughed, not knowing the meaning behind that smile._

_Hiei's eyes turned back to him and he let out a small laugh, amused by the idiocy of these people._

He wore a faint smile when he broke them of his memory but it soon disappeared only to be replaced by surprised eyes when she wrapped her arms around him, bringing him down on top of her.

"Oh, Hiei!" she exclaimed, squeezing her eyes shut tight. "Thank you so much for that! You will never know how happy your sharing that important memory with me has made me!" It was her tears that made him stay with her like that instead of promptly removing himself from her body and attempting to reinitiate the previous contact now that the little voices in his head were extinguished.

Though he would never say it out loud, he loved her, at least a little bit, in his own way.

* * *

Ayane: I freaking love the assistant director at my job. She's _awesome_!

Hiei: Hn.

Kurama: Lady Ayane, do you really only like her because she bought everyone pizza today?

Ayane: (shifty eyes) Maybe… Anyway, drop me a review! I love to read them! Or favourite/alert or whatever. Makes me feel good, too, you just won't get a shout-out! (smiles) Glad I got this up before my driver's test in the AM! Gah!


	22. Chapter 22

Ayane: I did it! I got my license the other Saturday – first shot! … Great except I couldn't drive till Wednesday the 2nd of May since I had no insurance. (face palms)

(Hiei shakes his head)

Kurama: Lady Ayane only owns OCs.

Ayane: So neither of you care? Jerks…

* * *

Shout-outs: **middlekertz**: The fic has a while to go yet... (winks) So maybe he'll grow a pair and-(hides from Hiei) Erm, anyway... Thanks for the wishes and the could-be pizza! (laughs) **xChaoticxAngelx**: ...Smartass. **julen**: Pizza _is_ amazing! Thank you so much. (smiles) I can't make it _too_ sweet... **MyLifeInWhole**: Yesh! Pizza! (grins) I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope everyone likes this one, too!

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 22

Ayane stared up at the stars as she lay on the hard ground, loving the soft breeze that cooled the air just enough and blew her bangs lightly across her forehead. It was her first night out of the Spirit Realm hospital room and she wanted to relax and not have to deal with anyone or anything messing up her peace – not even Hiei sitting in a tree warily nearby.

But, as always, all good things must come to an end.

_Beep! Beep! Bee—_

"What?" she sighed, holding the compact phone above her head.

_"Ayane, you need to return to your mission,"_ Koenma's stern voice came from the other end. _"Kiyomi needs to leave the Human Realm, whether she means harm or not."_

She sighed and shut her eyes. "I just got out of the hospital, Koenma. Could we give it a day, maybe?"

_"You really are just like my last irresponsible detective!"_ he exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Not my fault you hired a relative of that lazy detective," she muttered, turning on her side and dropping the phone to the grass. "Kiyomi's not going to hurt anyone. What's the harm in her sticking around for a while yet?"

_"She doesn't belong in the Human Realm, Ayane."_

A frustrated sigh left her lips and she shut the phone before propping herself up, her back to the ground again. "You coming with me, Hiei, or will you stay back with Mukuro?" A small _woosh_ made her aware that he stood behind her and she tilted her head back to look up at him curiously. "You know, I'm not like you. I can't read minds."

"Hn." He crossed his arms and glared down at her. "Don't ask stupid questions."

She slid her arms out and fell on her back again, pouting up at him. "I wasn't asking a stupid question; I thought maybe Mukuro would have you stay and help out."

Studying her for a moment, he uncrossed his arms and crouched down. "I told you I was going to protect you," he muttered, leaning over her. It was no surprise to him when she hopped back up on her elbows and pressed her lips to him; he had grown used to her little habits and he kissed back.

"So you're coming along then!" she exclaimed, laying back down and smiling at him. "I guess that's for the best – you would have missed me a lot!"

He let out a sigh of disdain and stood, walking away from her despite her protests and frantic scrambling to get to her feet. A smirk tried to surface but he held it at bay, intent on not showing her how her ridiculous actions affected him.

"Hiei. Ayane," Mukuro acknowledged without glancing up from the map she studied on the desk. "What would the two of you possibly want?"

"We need a portal out of the Demon Realm, Mukuro-sama," Ayane said apologetically, nudging Hiei when he stood silently. It was awkward asking the demon king to do something so minute and Ayane wished she was back in the little house that Hiei brought her to that night to live in; it was small, like the first place she had lived in while residing in the Demon Realm, but Hiei had told her Mukuro was already working on different accommodations so they could reside together comfortably.

"Of course," Mukuro mumbled, distractedly waving them off. "Hiei, you know how to handle that."

"Hn." He nodded and walked past Ayane, locking eyes with her and jerking his head in the direction he was headed. Hearing her following hesitantly behind, he barreled on. The walk to the control room was quiet but for the sound of their footsteps and Ayane's occasional sighs, revealing that silence was not her cup of tea. After about twenty feet, he stopped and looked at her. "Could you possibly stop being so annoying?" he asked, eyebrow arched in a taunting way.

"Nope!" she responded, grinning up at him.

He shook his head and looked away, reaching for the handle on the door. "Make sure the toddler has a portal for us when we get there. Mukuro cannot make portals to the Human Realm without it causing chaos."

"…So I have to deal with my godfather?" she muttered, fishing out her compact phone once more and dialing him. "We're going to be there in…" she paused, glancing at Hiei, "sixty seconds. We'll need a portal to the Human Realm."

_"Good to see you're finally taking this seriously,"_ Koenma grumbled, twitching slightly. _"I'll have one set for you. Will you be going alone?"_

Ayane could have laughed at the agitated expression on Hiei's face but she bit her tongue and held it in. "Of course not, Koenma. Hiei will be going with me."

_"That's it?"_

"Will I need others?" she asked, blinking at the tiny image of her worried godfather. "Is there anyone available?"

There was a long pause before Koenma met her eyes again. _"I'll check with the others. I hope someone's available."_

"Check for Sai and Rina; I know they're not the strongest fighters, but I would trust them both with my life." She bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. "Try your best to leave my cousin out of this – he has his own life now."

_"I can do that, Ayane,"_ Koenma agreed before clicking out.

"Hn… Let's go," Hiei muttered, standing next to the newly created portal. He waited for her to reach him then took her by the arm. "Quit being his detective," he said quietly, not looking at her.

A frown formed on her lips and she cocked her head at him. "What do you mean? I've wanted to do this since I was little! Plus, you're with me now… Nothing will be able to come close to me!" She worked her frown back into a smile.

"You could die," he growled, eyes narrowing as they met hers.

"But I won't. I can't. I told you before – I have to stick around for you." She smiled and grabbed at him, pulling him into the portal with her and catching him off guard. A giggle left her when they landed on the other side of the portal and he fell over her, staring down at her in slight surprise.

Koenma's irritated throat clearing pulled them from their situation and Hiei was off her in a second, across the large room on the windowsill. Ayane stayed on the ground, grinning widely up at her godfather. "Why do you feel the need to make me angry?" he grumbled, massaging the bridge of his nose as if she had given him a large headache in the span of a couple minutes; or maybe it was just her presence?

"Because sometimes making Hiei angry is boring," she quipped, hopping up. "I mean, the after part _certainly_ isn't boring, but I always know how to push his buttons so..." she trailed off, grinning.

**_Stop talking like that_**, Hiei growled in her head, matching the glare Koenma sent her.

"Oh, you prudes," she sighed, plopping down on the ground and crossing her legs. "So how has the situation changed? Why are you so worried about me having others with me?" Her thoughts turned serious and her face mirrored that, a small frown forming.

Koenma nodded and wandered back to his desk, climbing up to his chair and pressing a small remote that flicked on the screen; a small abandoned warehouse, from the looks of it, flashed up. "This area is where we've been getting a lot of activity in the past couple weeks while you were…resting." He paused long enough to show her he was ignoring her glare. "This area is where Kiyomi supposedly hangs out at." The screen showed the familiar school and area surrounding where Ayane and Hiei spent a few days. "These two areas seemingly have nothing to do with one another, except for the fact that Kiyomi is in the Human Realm in that exact city."

"Uh…huh…" Ayane responded slowly, tapping her cheek. "So now you think Kiyomi's more dangerous than, say, Hiei?"

"Well, no, but—

"Then why would we need a whole group of people to take her down?"

Hiei stood then, eyes narrowing at Koenma. "He thinks there's another demon there – a stronger demon."

"Much stronger," Koenma confirmed, shutting his eyes.

"Hn. This is ridiculous. Clean up your own messes. We're going back."

Ayane shook her head when Hiei stepped up to her. "I have to see what's going on," she murmured, biting the inside of her cheek. "I took this job, knowing it was dangerous. I have to follow through."

"…Moron," he muttered, shutting his eyes and crossing his arms.

"So, Koenma, have you gotten a hold of anyone?"

The pint-sized ruler sighed and shook his head. "Kurama is studying for finals, Kuwabara didn't even bother taking my call, you asked me to avoid Yusuke…and I have no way of getting in contact with Rina and Sai."

"Then I guess I'll pick Kiyomi up and she can help us out! Get to setting up that portal there, Koenma!" She hopped up and saluted. "I'm at your beck and call!"

Koenma twitched slightly and pressed some of the buttons she remembered trying to configure years prior; the thought made her smile. "I'll keep trying," Koenma insisted, though he seemed to be looking more at Hiei than her.

"Please stop threatening my godfather," she sighed, passing by Hiei as the portal opened; she disappeared into it quickly, though not before seeing Hiei hurry after her as if alarmed that she went without him. She felt him wrap his hand tightly around hers before they made it through.

~*~*~Blip~*~*~

_"Ayane…"_ a voice whispered in her ear – a voice she knew she had heard before. Bright colours swirled around her; she figured she had lost herself in the portal and she felt for Hiei's hand, not managing to find it. That was just her luck…

"Who's there?" she called out, eyes narrowing. "Who are you? Where's Hiei?"

_"Ayane…"_ the voice whispered again, distant this time. _"Oh, Ayane. Don't you think I'll find you?"_ the voice asked, growing closer with each word.

She searched the shapeless world for any sort of definition. "Who are you?" she tried once more, only to be greeted by silence. "Stupid me…getting lost in a one way portal and now I'm hearing voices!" she grumbled, kicking at what she assumed was the ground – at least that was where her feet were, anyway. "Stupid Hiei for losing me… Stupid…" She frowned and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Hiei…where are you?"

_"I killed him,"_ the voice responded to her rhetorical question, _"just as I killed your mom and dad. And now, Ayane, I'm coming for you!"_

"There's no way you could kill Hiei, Takeo!" she retorted as she searched the area after finally recognizing the voice. "Come out, coward!"

~*~*~Bleep~*~*~

"Where did that portal take her?" Hiei growled, glaring through the phone into Koenma's very soul. "Why were we separated?"

_"You shouldn't have been separated,"_ Koenma squeaked, his fingers flying across any button he could think of that might possibly help. _"There had to have been a spike of some sort that split the two of you up."_

The fire-ice hybrid's eyes narrowed to slits. "Find her," he hissed.

"You'd be better off looking," a voice said from behind him.

Hiei fixed his glare over his shoulder at the taller girl behind him. "It would be in your best interest to mind your own business," he snarled.

The strawberry blonde girl laughed and waved him off. "Oh, don't be ridiculous! I don't stick my nose into just anybody's business! This has everything to do with me, you see, as the child your mate is carrying at the moment will one day be my own child's best friend!" There was a long silence and she laughed, sweat dropping. "Oh! You didn't know yet, huh?"

For the first time in a while, Hiei was unwillingly speechless. Not only was Ayane, his mate, missing, so was their…unborn child? He blinked, his expression blank due to years of practice. "Child?" he finally managed, swearing internally at how hoarse he sounded.

"Oh, how cute! You must be so blinded by your own feelings that you haven't heard the baby yet!" she gushed, driving Hiei to clench his hands into fists to resist the urge to hit her. "Oh, you'll absolutely love her!" The strange girl started walking away and Hiei followed after her, a bit hesitant.

"'Her'?"

"Oh, yeah… I guess you didn't know that part either." She poked her cheek and made a "duh" face. "Sometimes I let my mouth move before my brain processes the information. Well, I guess that's not true, really, since technically my visions come from my brain…but that's neither here nor there! What's important is you have to find Ayane and your little one who will remain nameless!" She paused and examined him. "Though, I must say, the name you're gonna choose is wonderful and very fitting!"

His eyes narrowed. "Do you know where she…they…are?"

"Well, of course not! I'm not around for that nonsense! I'm a psychic, not a fighter!" She laughed and shook her head. "Although…you should be receiving a call from your little make up thing in a moment," she murmured, staring at his hand.

Even though she warned him, he still gave a slight start when the phone went off; his eyes went down to the contraption for a moment and, when he looked back up, the blonde girl had vanished. Growling, he flipped open the phone and glared into it. "You have details on her location?"

_"I do. The others are on their way here now for a briefing. As she is unavailable at the moment, you four will have to take her place. Meet here."_

~*~*~Spirit Realm~*~*~

"So what happened exactly?" Yusuke grumbled, arms crossed as he glared up at the tiny leader. After Kayko heard the story, he had gotten his ear chewed off pretty terribly, but she had insisted he save his family member, however distant they were. Women were such a pain in the ass sometimes… "Why didn't Hiei end up where Aya is?"

Koenma frowned and shook his head. "There was an odd spike in the system as soon as she walked through. Still haven't been able to track whatever caused that, but we managed to pick up a faint trace of Ayane in the Demon Realm on our scanner."

Emerald eyes peeked out from over the biology textbook they had been scanning intently. "I'm very curious as to why Hiei didn't go in with her," he murmured, looking over at the small demon, who bristled in return.

"Yeah, Hiei, why didn't you go in with your girl?" Kuwabara, who had been "persuaded" by Yusuke to tagalong, asked.

"Hn." There was silence for a moment as he slid his eyes shut and leaned back against the wall. "…I tried. Morons." In truth, he was slightly more relaxed hearing that they had found her life force.

"She hurried off," Koenma explained briefly before tapping some keys. "I hate to ask you all to do this since you have your own lives—" Yusuke scoffed. "—but Ayane's important. In truth, she didn't want you here, Yusuke. She wanted you taking care of Kayko and planning for your family." His comment silenced the former detective. "Make sure you're all very careful. This can't be emotional." All their eyes wandered to the silent, motionless Hiei who purposely ignored them. The moment Koenma hit the key and the portal appeared, however, Hiei was no longer present in the room.

"Damn," Yusuke whistled, staring at Hiei's empty spot. "He's got it hard."

Kuwabara frowned. "Nah, he's just territorial – gotta be."

A secretive smile formed on Kurama's lips as he shut his book and stood with his pack, stepping up to the portal. "Only he failed to tell all of you that he reached for her hand when she went through the portal before him."

* * *

Ayane: I realize it's late. I'm so sorry. (frowns) I hope to still have the next chapter up this weekend, though!


	23. Chapter 23

Ayane: Man, things got outta hand this weekend… From JD and coke to blown tires to ticks. What an insane weekend!

Hiei: Moron.

Ayane: Oh, bah. You're just embarrassed.

(Hiei grumbles)

Ayane: Anyway, I only own OCs! Sorry this chapter's late, too!

* * *

Shout-outs:** Mizuki Nashi**: I am very glad you've liked this story thus far! Always glad for new readers~ **xChaoticxAngelx**: Oh, bah... (shifty eyes) This chapter's even weaker than the last one so don't be too harsh. I need to do something to get my muse back... **MyLifeInWhole**: Thankies!~ Hope you like this one, too, 'cause someone has to! I certainly don't. (laughs)

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 23

"Are you awake?" a soft voice asked, stirring Ayane from her sleep.

Ayane tried to bring her hands up to rub her eyes but found her arms jerked back about halfway up. She blinked hard, trying to focus her eyes, and took notice of the chains around her wrists. Sighing, she threw her head back on her pillow and shut her eyes again. "Dammit, Takeo, you are _so_ dead," she grumbled.

"Excuse me, miss, but I was told to come upstairs and ask if you wanted anything to eat. You've been sleeping for three days."

_Three days? Where's Hiei…?_ she wondered, peeking out at the small child. "Where am I, little one?"

The tiny maid bit her lip and lowered her eyes. "I was told not to say."

"Is it Takeo?"

The girl's eyes widened and she let out a frightened little noise. "Would you like some food, miss?"

The hazel eyed woman shook her head and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm not hungry. I'd like to be alone." She listened for the sound of shuffling feet and the door shutting and brought her head up as much as she could to examine the room. From the looks of it, it was old and large. The bed she laid in and the dresser across the room were both faded and covered in dust; the rest of the room was bare. Taking a deep breath, she put her head back on the pillow and shut her eyes, head still fuzzy. Had three days really passed? When did she end up here? The last thing she remembered was searching that weird place for her insane uncle…

Where was Hiei? Did he end up on the right end of the portal?

Shaking her head, she blew out a puff of air. He was strong and could handle himself, even if he had ended up wherever she was. It was time to focus on getting herself out of the mess she was in – she could focus on finding Hiei later.

After deciding that was the best course of action, she focused on sending demonic fire to her hands, intent on melting through the chains. No sooner had she felt her hands warm than she heard someone clearing their throat near her head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, little niece."

She narrowed her eyes and glanced at him. "Hello again, uncle."

"Still no manners," he murmured, walking forward slightly so she would not strain to look at him. "You're in the Spirit Realm, but no one will find you here; that's one thing your mother and I had in common, after all. We were both very good at hiding things. I guarantee your friends and your filthy hybrid lover – yes, I've done my research on that – are wandering the Demon Realm right now." He grinned and puffed out his chest proudly. "I sent a burst of your spirit energy to a remote area there."

She fought the desire to roll her eyes and chose to just stare blankly at him. "Uncle, you seem to ignore the fact that he's my mate. Hiei will find me and you will die," she responded softly.

"You seem to ignore the fact that I am stronger and better than them," he growled.

A laugh left her throat unwillingly. "Yeah, all right, Takeo," she snorted.

His eyes narrowed and he stuck his chin up. "You'll see, filthy hybrid," he seethed, going to the door.

"Takeo, where is Hiei?" she asked, following him with her eyes.

"Why should I know?" were his last words before the door slammed shut behind him.

Ayane laid back and nodded to herself, smiling a bit. If Hiei was not around, she would not have to worry about him. Now if only she could figure out what kind of metal the chains were so she could figure out the temperature she needed…

~*~*~The Guys~*~*~

"Why isn't Shorty looking for her?" Kuwabara complained, staring into the tree Hiei had hidden himself in.

Kurama frowned and peered up as well. "Hiei, would you please come down and explain why you're not helping us find Lady Ayane?"

For a few moments, there was silence in the clearing. Then, as a slight rustling reached their ears, Hiei stood before them, glaring into the distance. "Morons, I _was_ searching. Koenma was wrong. She's not here." He turned his glare on them when Kuwabara opened his mouth to argue. "She's not here," he repeated through gritted teeth.

"Would you just listen to him, Kuwabara?" Yusuke snapped. "For a change, I agree with Hiei; he'd know best." Hiei acknowledged the former spirit detective with a small nod. "Do you have any idea where she'd be?"

The smaller of the two paused and shut his eyes. "If she's not in this realm and she failed to make it to the Human Realm then there is only one place she could be." He inwardly groaned at the thought. "We'll have to return to the Spirit Realm to get there, however."

"Oh, dear," Kurama sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as realization hit him. "You truly believe Takeo took her there?"

"Hn." He opened his eyes and looked at the other three. "It would make the most sense, after all. He could hide her there…"

"Uh, guys, it's great that you two still have that weird connection, but Kuwabara and me are still lost," Yusuke cut in, growing more and more agitated.

The redhead smiled patiently and turned his gaze on Yusuke. "No one was able to locate Takeo after Lady Ayane defeated him at the tournament. Hiei believes Takeo has taken Ayane to her family's castle in a distant corner of the Spirit Realm, where the angels used to reside until they were…mostly destroyed."

"Argh," Yusuke groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "She's as much of a pain in the ass as I am, getting kidnapped and running off…"

"Not nearly," Hiei muttered, turning away. Not until he noticed the surprised expressions turned on him did he realize it sounded more like a compliment towards his mate than an insult to Yusuke. He cursed himself and flitted off.

Yusuke and Kuwabara broke into hysterical laughter when the fire-ice hybrid vanished. "I can't believe he said that out loud!" the dark haired man wheezed.

Kurama shook his head and pulled out his compact phone, dialing Koenma.

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

"Ugh!" She altered the temperature a bit more. "No, still not right. What in the seven hells is this?"

"Miss," the small voice of the young maid chirped again, "I am to unhook your chains from the bed and help you change and you are to join the master for dinner."

Ayane's eyes wandered to the girl and she frowned. "I'm not hungry."

"Really, I must insist." Her own eyes fell to the floor.

"…What's your name?"

The question seemed to start the child out of her depressive state and she locked eyes with Ayane again, jumped, then stared in amazement. "I'm not bursting into flames…" she murmured, causing Ayane to raise an eyebrow. "The master said if we looked you in the eye, we would surely burst into flames!"

"Flames…?" The dark haired woman started laughing; oh, that was rich. What else had he told them? "Wait a moment. 'We'?"

"Of course, miss! We have to serve out our sentence with the master in order to move on! He told us so himself!"

"Just like he told you that you would burst into flames," she muttered bitterly, frowning at the small girl. "So, little one, what's your name?" she tried again.

"Tora," the little girl responded shyly.

Ayane smiled and nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tora. Because you were so kind, I will make your job easy and go along quietly to this dinner." She noted the girl's enthusiasm. "I do not promise to cooperate with your master, though."

"Oh, you must, or he will punish us!"

"Of course he will," she sighed. "If I can find no other way out for you, I will cooperate with him as well," she reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you, miss."

_Hiei…where are you?_

~*~*~The Guys~*~*~

The spiky haired man awoke with a start, eyes wide. He glanced down at the forgotten about fire that had dwindled down to barely burning embers and noted two out of his three other companions laid near it, asleep. His eyes narrowed and he hopped off his branch, staying aware for the slightest noise, even when he was fifty feet from the campsite.

"Leaving without us, Hiei?" Kurama asked coolly from behind a tree. He stepped into view when the shorter of the two bristled. "We can help you, you know. We worked together for a long time, or have you forgotten?"

"She's my mate, fox," he growled, glaring up at the redhead.

Kurama sighed. "She's Yusuke's cousin and a dear friend of Kazuma's and mine. We are just as worried as you are."

"Hn. I _heard_ her," he admitted, crossing his arms and looking away in embarrassment.

His friend smiled warmly and knowingly at him. "All the more reason to have all of us go with you. If you rush into this blind, Hiei, you both could die."

Hiei hesitated a moment before looking back at Kurama. "Three of us," he corrected.

"Three? What are you…" he trailed off, eye widening in realization. "A _baby_?" A frown formed when he received a nod. "Hiei, that kind of information is labeled 'important'," he said impatiently.

Crimson eyes narrowed and he looked away again. "Hn."

"It's not just your business, Hiei. We can't just storm the place if Lady Ayane is pregnant as she has a chance of losing the child if her stress levels skyrocket." From the shocked look on his face, Kurama knew his friend had not realized that. "We need to regroup and formulate a new plan. Keep your mind open to her – I will discuss the new development with the others."

Hiei glared at the ground as Kurama left for a moment before disappearing into the tree closest to him and shutting his eyes, listening for his mate. Moments after he felt he was close, he heard angry stomping and shouting nearing him.

"Yusuke, please calm down! He's trying to find her now!"

"You mean _them_!" the irate former spirit detective returned. "Where the hell are you, you bastard? You realize Koenma can kill you then bring you back so _I_ can kill you, right?"

Even Kuwabara was on Hiei's side for this argument, attempting to grab at Yusuke. "Oh, come on, Urameshi, they're basically hitched in demon terms! Of _course_ she's gonna have little Hieis runnin' around sooner or later!"

Silence filled the clearing for a moment as even Hiei poked around the tree trunk to stare, dumbfounded, at Kuwabara.

"Never say that again," Yusuke said slowly, responding for all of them.

"In a way, though," Kurama started, "he is right. It was bound to happen."

Yusuke shuddered. "I just got used to the idea of having a little cousin to jerk around. I'm not ready for her to grow up…'specially since if she does that, I know Kayko'll be bitchin' about starting a family soon, too." He crossed his arms and looked away. "I ain't ready for that yet."

"Do you have a trail yet, Hiei?" Kurama asked, ignoring Yusuke's rambling. Taking his friend's silence as a "no", he sighed and looked at the other two. "So since you decided it would be best to kill Hiei rather than formulate a new plan," he said pointedly to Yusuke, "it's now time to think of something."

"No time, fox," he muttered, suddenly beside Kurama, eyes narrowed and Jagan glowing. "Keep up with me," he growled and vanished.

"…Bastard," Kuwabara grumbled.

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

**_I'm coming_**, Hiei's voice broke through her thoughts as she changed into some white silk dress Tora had provided her; she nearly choked when she heard him.

"Are you all right, miss?" Tora asked, noticing her hands falter.

"Hm? Oh, just fine!" Ayane insisted, smiling and pretending to study the dress intently. _I just heard him, right? Was it really him?_

**_Fool. You think I wouldn't search for you?_** the other voice growled and she could nearly see the smirk on his lips.

Her eyes softened and she ignored how weak she felt when the tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. "Hiei…" she whispered, shoulders slumping. Only moments before, she had been in the process of creating an elaborate plan to escape that she knew would not work. After hearing his voice, though, she knew it would be all right.

_…Gods, when did I become a damsel in distress?_ she wondered.

A soft chuckle echoed in her mind. **_Hn. When you got kidnapped, moron._**

"Miss? Who's Hiei?" Tora asked by her elbow.

Ayane focused her eyes on the small girl and sighed. "Hiei's my destined mate." She saw the little girl's eyes grow wide and smiled softly.

"I thought that was just a story!" Tora exclaimed. "Tell me about it, please, miss!" she sat on the chair with her knees tucked up to her chin. "How did you meet? What's he like? Are you going to have babies? How did you know he was your destined mate and it wasn't just a crush?" she ranted on for a while, eyes wide in wonder.

"Uhm…" The older of the two blinked and shook her head. "One question at a time?" she reasoned, smiling when the little girl nodded enthusiastically. "We met…well, I found him when I obtained tickets to a big tournament called the Dark Tournament. After that, I trained for a few years until the next tournament came up. Well, I was sort of forced to meet him up close then by a friend of his." She laughed quietly to herself.

Tora, bouncing a little in her seat, cut in, "What does he look like?"

Feeling a blush start to creep up her face since she knew Hiei was still trying to stay in her mind and he would her talk about him, she cleared her throat awkwardly and crossed her arms. "He, uhm, well…" She took a deep breath and tried again. "He has these gorgeous crimson eyes I could get lost in, soft but absolutely unmanageable hair that I hope our children won't end up with…" She exhaled. "And he's strong and about three inches taller than me and—"

"What's he like?" This child sure had a rude way about her…

"He's…safe," she decided cautiously. "He keeps to himself and he doesn't like sharing his past unless he knows you. It takes a lot for him to trust you."

Tora was silent for a moment. "Do you love him?"

"Yes," Ayane responded instantly, eyes wide. "I've loved him since I saw him the first time. I didn't know we were destined mates at that point, but I knew I never wanted to be with anyone but him…"

~*~*~The Guys~*~*~

"Does Hiei seem a little uncomfortable to you?" Yusuke muttered to Kurama as they watched their companion twitch randomly for seemingly no reason.

Kurama stifled his laughter. "I would assume he's listening in on Lady Ayane," he said, hoping that explained everything. Their conversation came to an end when Hiei stormed over to them, eyes narrowed. "Something wrong, Hiei?"

"Do women ever stop being so nauseatingly sweet when they talk about their foolish relationships?" he growled, unwillingly listening to more of his mate's gushing.

Kurama and Yusuke looked each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"…Morons."

* * *

Ayane: Blah! This chapter is weaksauce.

Hiei: Moron.

Ayane: Time to get wasted and do some nekkid SL dancing!~

Hiei: Hn.

Ayane Pervert! (giggles at his glare)


	24. Chapter 24

Ayane: Dude. I _need_ to get back into writing my stories! Come back to me, muse!

Hiei: Stop being a moron.

(Ayane glares)

Yusuke: Aya only owns OCs!

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 24

"Well, I hope you're allowed to leave," Tora said quietly after fixing Ayane's hair. "It sounds like you have something wonderful, miss."

Ayane met the little girl's eyes in the mirror. "I won't leave until all of you are out of here safe, Tora," she murmured. Silently, the two walked down a few corridors and Ayane felt a strange sense of familiarity. After studying the halls a bit more, her footsteps faltered and her eyes widened. "I'm in my mother's castle!" she exclaimed.

"Miss, this is the master's castle," the small girl whispered, eyes darting around as if she would get attacked.

"Tora…" She paused. "Takeo is my uncle, Tora. My mother was his sister."

"You're nothing like the master," Tora protested, forgetting herself temporarily.

"Neither was my mother," she murmured, dropping her eyes to the ground and beginning to walk once more. They continued the walk in silence, Tora stealing occasional looks at Ayane. As they stood at the closed door leading to the dining room, Ayane dropped to a crouch and met Tora's gaze. "Be strong, little one."

Tora nodded and rubbed her eyes with her fists, forcing herself not to cry. "I will!"

Silently, Ayane stood and turned towards the door, bowing her head when the doors creaked open.

"Ah, so kind of you to join me!"

"What do you want, Takeo?" she sighed, raising her eyes to meet the man who sat across the room at the head of the large dining room table; she bristled as that had been the spot where her mother sat whenever they would visit her grandparents and her uncle… Biting her tongue, she set her face into an emotionless mask. "I have things to do," she said sarcastically.

"Sit," he said, ignoring her comment.

**_Hn. You are not his to order around_**, Hiei's voice echoed in her mind.

She shook her head and pushed his voice away before sitting at the opposite end of the table. "So why are we here, uncle?" In her mind, she was picturing the area where the castle hid; she hoped he would be able to pull it from her.

"Why else, foolish niece? In order to hide you, I had to find the one place they would not think to look!"

"Hide me? I thought you were going to kill me?"

Takeo's evil grin stretched across his face. "Oh, niece, I was. But now I'll hold you until you're ready then take both your lives."

"Both? I already told you; you won't be able to kill Hi—"

"Not him," Takeo growled. "Do you mean to tell me you don't know?"

Ayane blinked at him, at a loss. What was her nut of an uncle blathering about? If he was not talking about Hiei, who else could it be? Her eyes narrowed at his cruel smile. "I fail to see what's so damn funny about this situation, uncle."

"You wouldn't," he responded, picking up his knife and fork. "Please, eat, niece. You must stay healthy during your stay. After all, you will be here a while." His eyes never left her face as he spoke and cut a piece off his steak.

She glanced down at her food then back up at him. Her stomach was gurgling; when was the last time she had eaten anyway? Clenching her jaw together tight, she ignored her plate and continued to glare at Takeo.

**_Eat, moron_**, Hiei's voice cut through her deadly thoughts. Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch and she wondered if he was crazy. **_Hn. Test it first if you must, but I don't want _my_ mate dying of hunger – that's weak_**.

Something told her he was not telling her everything, but she sighed and poked at the food with her fork. "I want this tested before I eat it," she muttered.

"I'm not going to kill you yet, niece. Even if I was, I would take pleasure in tearing you limb by limb; there would be no poisoning." He rolled his eyes and took another bite of his food. "Don't be an idiot. Would you rather starve?"

She bit back a response and picked up her knife, knowing better than to attack him in her current state. With the map of the area firm in her mind, she lowered her head to face the plate and began to eat.

~*~*~The Guys~*~*~

"Hiei, slow down!" Kurama called, glancing over his shoulder at Kuwabara, who was struggling to keep up. "Human bodies don't hold up as well over time as demon bodies do!"

"Are you callin' me old, Kurama!?" Kuwabara shouted, eyes narrowed.

"Well, Kurama and me are in human bodies and we're keepin' up just fine!" Yusuke taunted, laughing when he saw he struck a chord in the ginger.

_Morons_, Hiei thought, growing tired of their antics. If it had not been for Kurama's words convincing him it was a bad idea, he would have had the castle torn to shreds and have her safe by now… Instead, they were still a ways out, according to her mental map, and he still had to put up with them.

All he wanted was his mate – and their child – safe.

Why had he not just told her she had to eat to keep the baby healthy? He had definitely debated with himself for a while, but finally decided it would blow their rescue operation if she suddenly figured it out.

Stupid woman, getting captured…

_"Oh, you'll absolutely love her!"_

He nearly tripped himself thinking of the blonde's words. He was the only one of the group to find his destined mate and the first to have children… The thought very nearly terrified him. What was _he_ going to do with a _daughter_?

This time, Hiei did stumble but caught himself quickly. He wondered how he could even think of being a father when he could not even imagine confessing who he was to his own sister. He shook his head and glared at the ground as the others caught up.

"Hiei, is something wrong?" Kurama asked softly.

There was silence for a while before Yusuke started chuckling. "You finally getting it? I can't believe it yet, either. I mean…you? A dad?"

"…Hn. I can't," Hiei muttered, shutting his eyes.

"Ah, Shorty, you're gonna be a great dad! Don't sweat it!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

Hiei let out a small, inaudible sigh and flitted off. _I can't be a father._ He listened in on his mate's sarcastic comments towards her uncle and smirked slightly; she was too much sometimes. After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder and slowed down, allowing the others time to catch up to him. If she found out how he had been treating them the whole time, she would probably give him an earful.

…What was wrong with him?

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

"That was actually…quite good, uncle," Ayane muttered, touching her cloth napkin to the corner of her lips.

Takeo smirked and laid down his knife and fork. "I suspect they're on their way then."

She blinked, putting on a confused face. "What are you talking about?"

"You're far too calm, niece. I'm not worried – you of all people should know the lengths this security system goes." His wicked grin stretched across his face. "I did some research on that mate of yours." He said "mate" as if it was a dirty word. "A Jaganshi, hm? I assume you two have been communicating the entire time."

Ayane sat quietly, eyes narrowed. _He knows…_

**_Don't let him get to you_**, Hiei growled.

"Niece, why do you think you can get anything past me?" His eyes flashed dangerously. "I am no moron."

"I beg to differ," she responded quietly. "Uncle, you seem to forget the bond mates have after all this time; especially destined mates."

He slammed his hands on the table, standing and glaring at her. "How could I forget after losing my own?!" he snapped.

Silence filled the dining room, Ayane's eyes wide as she watched her uncle's haggard breathing. Her uncle had had a mate? Her parents had never said anything about that…

"Uncle, I—"

"You're dismissed. Go back up to the bedroom," he grumbled, spinning on his heel and storming out of the dining room. Tora squeaked as he stormed past, doubling herself over in a hasty bow. She snuck a peek at him until he was out of sight then scurried over to Ayane, taking in her stunned face.

"Miss…?"

Ayane blinked, refocusing her eyes onto the small girl; she smiled. "Hey, Tora!"

Tora's smile stretched across her face. "Some of the other girls wanna meet you, if that's all right, miss!"

"Of course," Ayane responded softly, her tone sad.

**_Don't get attached,_** Hiei warned.

**_You know me far too well now, Hiei-dono_**, she whispered, following Tora through the halls.

**_…Hn. We're approaching the castle._**

She nodded smally and set her jaw as Tora led her through another hallway. She quietly promised herself she would do everything in her power to not cry.

~*~*~The Guys~*~*~

Hiei shut his eyes and rested back against a tree, waiting for the others. He knew she was safe for now, and that was what mattered. There was no need for him to worry too much – not that he was worrying to begin with, of course.

"Would you like to make camp for the night, Hiei?" Kurama asked, coming up beside his friend. "I'm sure some of us could use our rest."

The crimson-eyed man nodded curtly, eyes still shut. "She'll be safe for a while, kit. He knows about the baby. He wants to kill them both after she's born." He understood he sounded harsh, putting it out there like that, but they needed the facts.

"'She'?" Kurama asked quietly, arching a brow and ignoring the rest of the explanation after affirming Ayane was safe.

"Hn." The shorter of the two opened one eye. "A _psychic_," he spat the word, "spoke to me on the street in the Human Realm after I lost her…them." His eye shut again. "She made sure that I knew I was looking for more than just Ayane."

Kurama smiled. "It's nice to hear you using her name, Hiei."

Silence.

"I'll let the other two know that we're setting up camp and that she's safe for now. Has she let you know anything else?"

A frown formed on Hiei's lips and his eyes opened slowly, staring blankly at the ground. "There is some sort of security against demons. They altered it, of course, for her and her father, so she should have some way around it. She has failed to tell me that plan as of yet."

"Well, keep us updated." With a small smile, the redhead turned from his friend and made his way to the others, relaying the plan to them.

Hiei allowed his thoughts to wander to his mate and their unborn child. Was it right for him to keep this a secret from her? Should he let her know that she has a little creature growing inside of her?

…What would the child's life be like?

He could not bring himself to imagine what kind of life the child would have with their heritage. If Ayane and he had had problems, he could not imagine their child's life being any easier. He frowned at this thought.

**_Hiei-dono, are you okay?_** her voice interrupted his thoughts. **_You're very quiet…_**

**_Don't worry about me, moron_**, he responded, his voice soft and distracted. Why would she worry about him when she was obviously the one in danger? Stupid woman…

Her laughter echoed in his head. **_Who said I was worried?_** she teased.

**_…Moron._** He let a smirk cross his face for a moment. **_Hn. I'm fine._**

**_You always are_**, she said softly.

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

She stared at herself in the mirror, noting how her features had brightened after getting some food and communicating with Hiei. The small girls Tora had introduced her to only hours prior sat by her feet, eyes wide.

"Tell us more?" one asked, awed.

"There's only so much I can tell you about, little ones," Ayane laughed. She had told them about her own history, skipping over all the gruesome bits, she had mentioned Hiei and told them of the Demon and Human Realms. There was really nothing else to tell them…

A bright eyed little girl grinned and stood. "I know where he can sneak in at!"

"What?" Ayane was breathless and wide-eyed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's obviously gonna rescue you! You love each other!" Tora exclaimed. "Master was grumbling about you two talking to each other, so we can tell you where to get him in at and you can tell him!"

Ayane shook her head fiercely. "I will not get you girls into this."

"Oh, please. It's not like we don't already know we're dead. What's he gonna do to us? I personally believe he has no powers," an older girl muttered; the other girls gasped. "He's threatened all of us so many times but when has he ever sent any of us away? He doesn't keep us here to be kind or because he actually needs us. He just can't send us away. It's simple as that! Don't any of you use your heads?"

"He's fallen," Ayane whispered, locking eyes with the girl. "Nana, Tora, girls…where are these spots?"

* * *

Ayane: Wow. This is way past due. And it's crap. I apologize. Hopefully next chapter will be better!


	25. Chapter 25

Ayane: Blegh. I gotta get rid of all this extra weight.

Hiei: By starving yourself? Hn. Moron.

Ayane: Not starving – limiting. Jerk.

Yusuke: Aya doesn't own anything copyrighted. She owns OCs and anything not copyrighted.

(Kurama pats Ayane's head)

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 25

Narrowed crimson eyes studied the pseudo-empty space that his mate told him was the path through the barrier. She warned him that he and the others may feel nauseous halfway through the path she had given him, but he had ignored that warning and focused solely on the path.

"This way," he muttered, not looking back at his companions.

"Hiei, this seems far too simple," Kurama, the voice of reason, spoke, following close behind his friend.

Hiei shrugged in return, focusing on his step count. _5…6…7... Left._

_You just have to trust me when I tell you where it is; demons can't see the castle or the surrounding grounds until they're through the …promise me something. Don't hit the barrier for any reason, Hiei-dono. You'll be torn apart_, she told him prior to telling him where he could find the start of the barrier. Promise her? He had already given her his life – what more could she possibly want?

_14…Right. Left sidestep.1…2…3…_

As they neared the midway point, he gritted his teeth. No, he had not warned his companions who travelled just behind him that they would start to feel nauseous. Anything to delay him getting to her would just piss him off.

_3…Small right turn._

He heard the complaints behind him and stopped only to whip a glare over his shoulder at them. When they had successfully shut up about the way they felt, he turned and resumed his silent counting.

_8…9…Left. 1…_

Three-quarters of the way through and he could just barely sense her. It was physically difficult for him to resist tearing through the stupid invisible barrier and racing up to find her. _Promise me…_

"12…13," he muttered, trying to drown out her voice.

"Hiei, are we much closer? Kazuma is having a difficult time keeping up," Kurama whispered, leaning down.

Hiei walked a few more paces then held his left hand out, giving himself his direction. "I don't understand why we brought him in the first place," he growled, throwing a menacing look over his shoulder at Kuwabara.

"Hey, Kuwabara could drop the barrier, right? Like how he helped out with Sensui's?" Yusuke exclaimed suddenly, eyes wide as if wondering why he had not thought of this earlier.

Kurama was luckily between his two friends to keep the peace. He looked from Hiei's wildly angry expression to Yusuke's bewildered one and shook his head. "No need for violence now, Hiei; I'll explain. Kazuma had already proposed this idea when he heard of the barrier, Yusuke. However, with only one of him and how intricate Lady Ayane says the barrier is, it would take far longer for him to drop the barrier than it's currently taking for us to sneak our way through."

"Oh… I must've been doing something else…"

"You were sleeping," Hiei scoffed, turning to his left and proceeding through.

_9…10…11. Right._

**_Hiei-dono, can you hear me yet?_**

**_Hn._** Hopefully she would understand that he needed her silent as he crossed the last few paces until he got to her. If he could hear her again, then he was close…

**_Turn around. Go back. This wasn't a good idea!_**

He stopped abruptly, eyes widening and keeping the number five echoing in his mind. **_Are you _insane_, woman?_**

**_You must be kept safe. There are guards waiting just inside the barrier for you…_**

**_Show me._**

He felt her hesitance as she relayed the image of the guards to him. Why was she acting so strangely? All at once it came to him.

**_…Moron, I'm sure Koenma can do something about the girls…_**

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

As his words crossed her mind, she felt her face warm up. Somehow he understood what she wanted. The girls had to be safe.

Her eyes focused on the guards she watched pacing by the barrier and she willed the image into his head, noting how far they wandered from the pathway exit and how long they stayed away from it. If the four got the timing just right, they would pass through safely…

But what was the fun in that, after all? She sighed as she watched Hiei and Kurama step fluidly through the invisible barrier just as the guards passed by each other, harshly knocking them out. Her chest ached when she saw Hiei look sharply up into her own window.

Yusuke and Kuwabara stumbled out after the other two and looked down at the guards, saying something to Hiei and Kurama. The redhead looked as though he was responding while Hiei just continued to stare, as if not believing she was truly there.

Ayane bit her lip and giggled lightly to herself, raising a hand to wave at him. "I'm here," she whispered, eyes softening.

He nodded in affirmation and turned sharply to the others, barking orders and bristling. Was he truly that worried about her? She clutched the front of her dress, eyes watering as she looked at the floor. What a silly man…

"They're here then? Good. Now's the time to break the news," her uncle said quietly behind her, looking over her shoulder to the window. The four were already disappearing into the castle, on the lookout for any more guards.

"What news?" she grumbled, looking over her shoulder at him.

"You'll soon know as well, niece, worry not."

She crossed her arms and shook him off when he reached for her. "Don't touch me."

"Then follow me," he said, amused, as he turned away and walked to the door. "I have a lot to tell you about and not much time to do it. Your companions will be in here soon, tearing the place up to find you."

Ayane slowly followed after him, eyeing his back. What did her uncle have planned this time? Why was he saying such weird things? "Where are you taking me?"

"To the third floor living room, of course. We can't have them tearing up too much of the castle. After all, it belonged to our family at one point. Wouldn't you like to have your family come back and visit someday?" He looked over his shoulder at her.

"You're going to let me live?"

"I'm not going to get the chance to decide. I'll die here today, I've accepted it." He paused, thinking of how to word his next line. "I don't plan on taking that trip alone yet, though. Tell me, niece, how would you feel if you lost your precious mate?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "I…I don't know."

He grinned cruelly and shook his head. "I'll have to teach you how it feels then. Not only will he be my victim, he'll be more than willing to go."

"Hiei won't go down without a fight."

"We'll see about that…"

She followed silently behind him, curious as to what he was going on about. When he sat on the oversized couch in the second floor living room and beckoned her over, she hesitantly obliged.

The shield went up as soon as she sat down.

She recognized the shield from the disputes that she remembered prior to the war. The shields protected those inside and kept any and all enemies to the shield maker outside. If they tried to cross through the shield they would be in enough pain that they would wish they were dead.

"You think this shield will keep him from fighting you?" she asked, skeptical.

"You think I'm that stupid?" he retorted, glaring at her.

Ayane sighed and settled back against the couch, listening to the sound of screams and shouting down below. **_Hiei-dono…we're on the third floor._** His lack of response did not worry her in the slightest; she could feel him closing in on them. She glanced sideways at her uncle who looked as excited as a kid opening a present. _Why is he so smug? What is he hiding?_

The doors burst open and Hiei stormed into the living room, closely followed by the other three. His eyes burned with a fierce hatred of the man sitting next to her. "Ayane, get over here," he snapped.

"I can't," she responded sheepishly. "The shield."

"Let her go," he growled, eyes narrowing at her uncle.

Takeo laughed. "Of course I will let her go. First, however, you must swear you will let yourself die at my hands." He cocked his head at Hiei's cruel chuckle. "You wish them both to live, right?"

Hiei's laughter stopped short and he scowled at her uncle. "Of course I do."

_Both…?_ Ayane wondered, confusion flickering across her face. _Oh no, there's no way._ She touched her stomach and blinked. "There's a baby?!" she squeaked, sending everyone's attention towards her. "There's a _child_ in my _womb_?! Oh, gods, that's why you've been feeding me! You're trying to use our child against him?!" Her tone grew more furious with each word.

"Not trying, niece. Done." Takeo dropped the shield for a split second to let her go and hold Hiei in.

"Hiei-dono!" she gasped, struggling against Yusuke. Her eyes were wide as she stared across the room at him. "Hiei-dono…"

"Get her out of here!" Hiei snapped, avoiding her gaze. "Take her back to Koenma!"

"Come on, Ayane," Yusuke said quietly, taking her arm.

"Don't touch me," she hissed, tearing her arm away. "You let him go, Takeo, or I will walk through this shield and kill you with my own hands!"

**_You will stay where you are_**, Hiei snapped, narrowing his eyes at her.

"No!"

His glare faltered and he shook his head at her. **_I swear I will come back._**

"Yan, let's go," Yusuke mumbled, reaching for her again.

She let Yusuke take hold of her arm but continued staring at Hiei, pushing tears back. "…I love you…" she whispered before finally turning away and following the others out.

**_I will come back to you_**, he said firmly, watching her leave.

**_You'd better_**, she responded, stopping in the doorway to glance back at him for a second. **_I need you, Hiei-dono. _We _need you. _**In the next moment, they were walking through a portal Koenma was able to create while their spirit energies were there and strong. Her heart was heavy as she landed in Koenma's castle; she kept her eyes glued to the floor.

"Ayane! You're back! It's good to see you alive!" Koenma exclaimed as he approached her, arms outstretched.

She blinked and slowly looked up, focusing on her godfather. "…Hiei's gone," she whispered, not noticing the tears springing to her eyes. "Hiei stayed there…to protect us. He's gone, Koenma! This is all your stupid fault!" She threw herself at him, intent on hitting him, but instead finding herself falling against him, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara," Koenma started sharply as the other three landed, "what happened?"

Kurama took charge, leading Ayane away from Koenma and the others as Yusuke started explaining. "Lady Ayane, there is no need to cry. You know Hiei won't be so easily killed," he whispered as they left the area to stand on a connected balcony.

She stared blankly at the ground, trying to sort herself out. "I know… I know he will be okay. It's just hard to find out I have his baby inside of me and then have him disappear. It would be easier if I knew where he was and how he was doing." She gave her head a hard shake to bring herself out of her slump. "I feel lost and helpless. I don't like feeling this way, Kurama."

"I understand. We'll keep an ear out for him, you know that. We'll find him. The best you can do for everyone right now is stay calm."

Her hands found her stomach. "I want to know if you find out anything, though. I want to be there to save him like you guys saved me…us." A sigh left her lips and she looked to the sky. "As messed up as it is, Kurama, I feel like my uncle is just hurt and confused. I don't know what's wrong exactly, but he said something to me about having a mate." She paused. "I never knew Takeo had had a mate."

Kurama studied her curiously. "What do you plan on doing about that, Lady Ayane?"

She shrugged, a smile dancing across her lips. "Studying, I guess. If I can find some history on my whole lineage then maybe I can figure out how to find Takeo. Maybe I can find and help him. Maybe I can save Hiei." She turned her smile on Kurama. "Maybe I can do it all by myself."

"You don't have to do anything alone, Lady Ayane. Hiei is our friend."

"Oh, I know. Hiei doesn't need to know I had help to figure it out, though." She winked.

"You've stopped using '-dono'," he acknowledged.

She laughed lightly. "He might not show it, but I know he likes the fact that someone looks up to him: someone respects him. Until this little one is born, it's nice to see that flash of pride in his eyes when I use the honorific." There was a pause and she looked at the balcony railing. "There's no point in using it when he's not around, Kurama. I only use it for him." Her tone was sad again as she traced the wood markings. "Maybe we should go back in. I'm sure by now those two goons have told him I'm having Hiei's baby."

Kurama laughed as he followed along behind her, his humour not reaching his eyes. One friend was gods know where and another was in despair, missing her mate. He frowned as he remembered the last mental words Hiei said to him before they walked through the portal after Ayane:

**_Take care of them, fox. Make sure she doesn't do anything that might hurt the child. I'll cross the seven hells to get back to them. If something happens…I will take your life._**

_I'll watch them, Hiei_, he thought. _I promise_.

* * *

Ayane: Work + Gaming = Little/No Updates. I can't help I'm a gamer. (frowns)

Hiei: Hn.

Ayane: You're so sweet and caring and amazing and—

Hiei: Woman, are you an imbecile? Do you really think I'd do such things?

Ayane: No! Yes! (sticks tongue out) You don't know you! What if you _had_ your destined mate? What if you _did_ get her pregnant? What if you _were_ gonna have a baby?

Hiei: …Hn.

Ayane: Exactly! R&R, please! And be nice, teehee. Think I wrote half of this during writer's block so it might not be the best chapter…


	26. Chapter 26

Ayane: Sup, hooka's!

Kurama: Lady Ayane, you should be kind to your readers…

Ayane: That's how I greet my friends… (frowns)

Yusuke: Yan doesn't own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything else with that "c" symbol. She owns anything else.

* * *

**kungfupandabear**: Yes, I'm still alive. Barely. (laughs) Just working hard!  
**NameWithnoMeaning**: Oh, I have _so much_ fun! (grins) When I get the chance to write, of course!

* * *

**Never Before, Never Again**

Chapter 26

"Hey, Yan, you're falling asleep. You should take a break," Yusuke suggested from the doorway, watching his cousin's eyes droop shut for the twentieth time.

"Hm? I'm not falling asleep." She smacked her cheeks, squinting to focus on the page she had been working on for nearly an hour. "I can't afford to fall asleep."

He frowned and stepped into the study, looking over her shoulder at the book she was looking at. "You and the baby need some food and rest," he said quietly. "If you don't listen to me, I'll get Kayko in here."

"Don't do that!" she squeaked, eyes wide. She had moved in with the couple only a month prior and already knew how take-charge the brunette human woman could be. "I'll come eat dinner, but then I need to do a bit more research before going to bed, okay?"

"All right." He jerked his head in the direction of the doorway and waited for her to stand and follow him. "Y'know, you're still not showing yet."

"You sound disappointed," she teased.

"Nah. I'm just kinda lookin' forward to teaching my great-niece or nephew to play some videogames with me – the world won't save itself from zombies, y'know!"

She smiled and shook her head at him. "You won't be teaching them anything of the sort, Yusuke. You know Hiei would kill you."

They were silent for a moment, thinking of the hybrid.

"Find anything yet?"

"No, but I feel like I'm close," she responded quietly, eyes downcast.

"We'll find him, Yan." As the words left his lips, she felt happy that she had some form of family even now.

"I'm very fond of you, cousin."

He rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair. "Yeah? Well, yer a pain in my ass."

"Yusuke Urameshi! Don't you know that babies can hear in the womb? Watch your language!" they heard Kayko yell from the other room.

"Oh, now I'm in trouble…"

"You know her rules," Ayane said, holding in a giggle. She passed Yusuke to help Kayko in the kitchen, much to the latter's chagrin. "I can handle a few dishes, Kayko. I'm not an invalid – I'm pregnant."

Kayko, frowning, eventually gave in and let her carry the three plates and sets of silverware to the dining room table, but no more. "I don't need to be blamed for something happening to that baby," she muttered, motioning for Yusuke to grab the rice cooker. The trio sat down at the table, bowing slightly to their plates before serving themselves. "Don't even think about answering that, Yusuke," she warned as his compact phone went off.

"Excuse me," Ayane murmured, standing. "It may have something to do with Hiei, though, Kayko." She bowed to her cousin's wife and walked the five feet to the phone briskly. "What's up?" she asked as she flicked it open.

_"Lady Ayane! Do you think I could perhaps speak to Yusuke?"_

She smiled warmly into the phone. "Kurama, it's nice to see you, too," she replied with as much sarcasm as she could muster – it really was good to see him, after all. "Unfortunately, Kayko is holding Yusuke hostage at the dinner table and you will be unable to contact him until further notice."

There was a pause in which Kurama coughed to cover up a laugh. _"Do you think you could ask the lady of the house if I may come over tonight? I may have something of interest."_

"Kayko, can Kurama come over after dinner?" Ayane asked, obviously brimming with excitement. "Please?"

Kayko smiled in amusement. "Well, of course he can. You're a guest here, Ayane. I'm not going to stop you from having friends over."

"You stop me from having friends," Yusuke whined; he was quickly silenced and started shoveling food in his mouth at her glare.

"Kurama? Kayko says you can come over after dinner. We'll see you soon?"

_"Of course, Lady Ayane. See you then."_

Closing the phone, Ayane nibbled on her lower lip. Kurama had something of interest? It must be something to do with Hiei! She unconsciously placed a hand on her stomach. He had not sounded upset or worried; in fact, he had sounded almost excited! She sat down at the table and ate what she could, her stomach in knots at the anticipation. She did not put up a fight when Kayko told her to sit down instead of help with dishes; she simply went to the study and started to pace. Her senses were on high alert and she was at the door before the fox demon had time to ring the doorbell.

"Kurama…!" she said breathlessly. "What do you have?"

He smiled and lifted the covered rectangle he held. "May I come in first, Lady Ayane?" he laughed.

"Oh." She laughed awkwardly and let him through. "Yusuke, Kurama's here! Kayko, can Yusuke come up with us to the study?"

There was some light discussion in the kitchen followed by a hard slap across the face and Yusuke came out to join them, chuckling with a handprint on his face. "I swear, I can't even get away with touching my wife's butt," he complained, a stupid grin on his face.

"Gross, Yusuke," Ayane muttered. "She lets you get away easy. Hiei would be a bloody pulp if he did that with company around."

"_I'd_ beat him to a bloody pulp if he did it at all," Yusuke replied, eyes narrowing.

"Yusuke…this is his child in here," she reminded him again, pointing to her belly. "He's done more than grab my butt, I assure you."

Yusuke started laughing again, pointing behind her at Kurama's bright-red face. His eyes were staring at anything but his friends and he looked slightly disturbed by the direction the conversation had taken.

"Oh! Sorry, Kurama!" Ayane exclaimed, blushing herself. "Anyway, to the study!" She took the lead, marching on to the extra room she had claimed for her research. The redhead's eyes widened when he saw the piles of books she had "borrowed" from the Spirit Realm stacked around the room as well as note-taking papers strewn here and there. She was not embarrassed in the least as she plopped down at her office chair and motioned for them to sit on the small couch across the room from her. "So what's that thing then, Kurama? I don't think I've seen anything like that before."

Kurama smiled and tugged the paper off the rectangle, revealing a large framed painting of her uncle and some mint green haired woman. "I noticed this in an old antiques shop down the road. The shop keeper was never able to sell it, of course, as the woman in the portrait has, well, _unusually_ coloured hair and eyes. With their clothing choice, it is unlikely they had contacts or hair dye at the time of this painting."

There was silence for a few minutes as Ayane sat, frozen, eyes wide. Her eyes trailed over the portrait repeatedly, taking notice of the woman's eyes that matched her hair and the absolutely thrilled look on her uncle's face.

"_Umiko_," she whispered, a faint memory poking the back of her mind. "Umiko! She was a sea demon! She was his mate! I learned about her in my studies but I never… She died a long time ago." She stood and started pacing behind the desk, face contorted in concentration. "Let's see how much I can remember from my studies, shall we? _Madam Umiko, once worshipped by the people near the ocean in which she lived, was a kind, forgiving sea demon. Though most assume sea demon means Siren, Umiko was nothing of the sort. During her life, she showed mercy to those who fell into her waters and saved those who would have drowned otherwise_." She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I memorized that for a test on the difference between Sirens and sea demons. What else was there?"

Kurama and Yusuke watched her pace, both wearing different emotions on their face. While Kurama wore an expression of surprise, Yusuke's expression was more of disbelief.

"Why would you memorize something as stupid as that?" Yusuke scoffed finally, sending her train of thought crashing into a tree. "That's not helpful at all!"

The other two turned to stare at him as if he was stupid. "I remember her, Yusuke. I know I can find more information on her."

"So what?"

Kurama tried this time. "If Umiko was his mate, as this portrait suggests, then we may be able to narrow down where he took Hiei." He noticed Ayane touch her belly. "We're one step closer to finding them. For now, though, I think we should all rest. We can spend tomorrow searching for information on her." He held up a hand at her protests. "If Hiei is in trouble, if Hiei is dying, you will know. For now, everyone seems healthy. You will need to rest, Lady Ayane."

Her shoulders slumped and she nodded, walking with the two males as they stood and headed to the front door. She wrapped her arms around Kurama's middle, thanking him repeatedly for finding the painting and bringing it to her attention.

"Lady Ayane, we will find him," he assured her, patting the top of her head. "Yusuke, I'll be back tomorrow. Make sure she gets some sleep for me?"

"Yeah, sure. See ya, man." He shut the door as their friend left and looked at Ayane who was facing the ground and shaking. "Awh, don't start bawlin', Yan! This is good news!"

"I know it is," she sniffled, glaring at the ground through her tears. "Stupid hormones. I'm so happy! I can't believe we have a break!" She shook her head and looked up at him, grinning through her tears. "Yusuke, we're going to find him!"

"Yeah, we are," he said softly, giving her a small smile. "Ya hear that, little one?" he asked, kneeling down and poking her stomach. "We're gonna find yer daddy and then yer mom can stop acting like a nutcase!" He laughed loudly when she swung at him; he stood and hugged her tiny frame. "You shouldn't doubt us so much. We care about you and, though half the time he don't deserve it, we care about him. He's our friend."

"I know, Yusuke," she whispered, hugging him back. "Thank you for being here."

He grinned and backed away from her. "We sure can't let that baby go without a daddy! Now you go to bed, little girl! You need your rest!"

"I will. I just have to look at something real quick, okay? I promise I won't stay up late."

"You'd better not. I'm sick o' Kayko havin' me check up on ya in the middle of the night then havin' to carry yer passed out butt to bed!" he teased, tapping her forehead.

"Yeah, yeah," she giggled, swatting at his hand. "I promise. G'night, Yusuke."

"Good night, Yan." He walked up the stairs to Kayko's and his shared bedroom.

She stayed rooted to the spot until the light went out. Her feet led her back to the study where she skimmed over the titles of the books she had. After a moment she fished out her compact phone and opened it up, punching in a couple numbers. "Botan, I need an extended portal to the Spirit Realm library."

_"Again? Ayane, I can't keep doing this – Lord Koenma's starting to notice his books are going missing!"_

"Last time, I promise. Kurama came over tonight with some very useful information." A grin broke out across her face. "You can help me look for what I need!"

The bluenette let out a semi-exasperated sigh, her own eyes flickering with excitement. _"Okay, Ayane, let's do this. Last time, though,"_ she warned.

"Scout's honor!" the smaller woman giggled, saluting the compact phone. She grabbed a stack of books as the portal appeared and she walked through it, plopping them in Botan's arms. "These all will need put away then I'll need a whole new pile. Books on the sea demon, Umiko." As the girls exchanged books and searched extensively through the massive library, Ayane shared the information Kurama had discovered with Botan who gasped and cheered at all the right times. The two had grown close since the start of the research – Koenma certainly would never let these books out of his sight purposefully. After all, his father would surely spank him.

"Thanks, Botan. I really want to get a head start on the research before the guys get here," Ayane said as she stood at the portal with her last stack of sea demon books.

"I know you're worried, but buck up! You'll find him! Just make sure you get enough rest, too, Ayane! We don't need that baby getting sick in there!" She smiled brilliantly down at Ayane's belly.

Ayane smiled and rolled her eyes. "That's what everyone's saying. I'm being careful, I promise." She paused a moment. "I wonder how Hiei will feel when he sees me coming to save him with the guys?" The girls shuddered at the thought.

"Whatever happens, it'll work out," Botan said, serious this time. It was rare for the blue-haired woman to show her serious side to anyone. "We'll figure something out."

"Thank you, Botan," Ayane responded, sincere. "I'm glad I have friends like you." The girls shared a smile before Ayane walked through the portal and it disappeared behind her. She dropped the pile of books on her desk and smiled broadly before stifling a yawn.

Gods, she could only imagine what nonsense Hiei would be spouting at her this second.

As her thoughts drifted to her mate, she felt her eyes fill up and she suddenly became less interested in researching before the others got here. After all, he would be insisting she climb into bed and go to sleep right now. Sighing, she swiped away her unshed tears and left the study, walking down the hall to the spare bedroom her cousin and Kayko had set up for her and shutting the door behind her.

Her eyes trailed across the barren room through the darkness and finally fell on the bed. She had avoided sleeping in it for the most part, opting to use one of the many couches that could be found through the house. Most times, she fell asleep at her desk and Yusuke would move her to the couch he and Kurama had been sitting on earlier in the night. Tonight, though, she willed herself to move to the bed, shedding her clothes as she went. She forced herself to lift the comforter and slide underneath it, biting back a whimper.

It was hard for her to be tucked into the bed. It upset her to be here when he was not.

She could still smell him on the blankets, even though she had washed them.

A sob wracked her body as she curled herself around the pillow he had used in the apartment they lived in during their short stay in the Human Realm. Her heart ached as she breathed him in even though he was not there.

Her cries echoed in the room and deafened her and she found she did not care if her cousin heard. She missed him. She needed him.

And she was one step closer to finding him.

* * *

Ayane: So I finished 25 and wrote out 26 in like 5 hours… My fingers are broken. And I almost made myself cry with this last bit…

Hiei: Hn. Moron.

Ayane: Oh, shush. I think I did pretty well!

Kurama: Be kind, please. She sacrificed the health of her joints as she caught the writing bug again…


	27. PleaseDoNotBeMad

**_Never Before, Never Again_**** Hiatus Explanation**

So while writing my next chapter, it came to my attention that I was inserting my OC from my yet-to-be-written-and-posted KuramaOC fic. Now normally I wouldn't care much, but it does show a side of Hanabi that is a bit OOC and shows Kurama a bit OOC…if there's no background story to his behavior.

Now I've decided to hold off on my next chapter until I get some KuramaOC chapters up.

BUT if you're 100% sure you won't read my KuramaOC fic and/or you don't mind him being OOC due to lack of background information on the OC and him…then message me. I will be more than happy to send you advanced copies of my HieiOC fic. (smiles sweetly)


	28. CancellationRewrite

It has come to my attention as of late that people may still be under the assumption that I am continuing to work on this story. I am not. I am revamping this story and bringing much better elements and making it more canon and making Ayane kick some serious ass. My mind has been opened to better characters. I am making this an Ayane story, not a Hiei-romance story. Ayane is a strong character of her own right and it's time I do her, and the Yu Yu Hakusho world, justice by throwing in a strong character as well as rewriting one of my favorite pieces as I work through writer's block.

Please check out _Even the Best_, the rewrite to _Never Before, Never Again_.

Also, if you're into supernatural, fiction, etc., check out my original story _Chaos_ on the wonderful WattPad - an app as well as a website.

I'm going to become a writer. I'm going to make it big. And all of you have helped me. Please continue to grow with me. I owe you all so much.

~Ayane


End file.
